Imagine Eternity
by charm545
Summary: Sequel to "Imagine Madness". You'd think all the dangers were over now that Ciel's soul is safe and sound, but there are many human problems they will need to face before they start thinking about eternity...
1. Chapter 1

Ciel understood that he needed to be more careful. Really. He did.

With Mey Rin accidentally letting his mother know that he hadn't "outgrown" Sebastian, the pair needed to lay low. Although he was concerned, he knew his mother wouldn't actually do anything about this "problem". She had the tendency of pretending that everything was ok and of drowning any concerns in alcohol. Still, they didn't want to end up breaking the almost nonexistence barrier keeping her at bay…

Yes… Ciel understood this… and yet…

* * *

"Sebastian. Turn like this." The boy spoke suddenly in the middle of a movie, a spark lighting in his eyes. He demonstrated by changing his position on the couch. He lifted his legs onto the couch and leaned his back against the armrest. "Facing me." He spoke now looking directly at the demon.

Sebastian did as he was told, also bringing up his legs so as to move his torso to face Ciel. Their legs tangled easily on the couch.

"Now." Ciel spoke with a serious tone. He took a single popcorn kernel out of his bowl. "Open your mouth."

"We both know you'll fail at this." Sebastian said with ease, immediately understanding Ciel's intentions. He leaned forward and tried to take the bowl from the boy, who scowled.

"Go back to your post!" He said as he lifted the bowl out of reach.

"I'll just have to make some popcorn for myself then." The demon said with a shrug.

"Don't you da-" But in Ciel's next blink, he was gone. The boy rolled his eyes. "Stupid demon." He threw a popcorn kernel into the air and opened his mouth to catch it. It never reached its destination, though, because Sebastian caught it in his hand. "Hey!" Ciel said with annoyance.

"You will only eat the ones coming from my hand." Sebastian stated with a sly grin.

"Careful, or I'll think you're all talk." Ciel gave a challenging grin of his own. The demon left once more, but promptly returned with freshly popped corn. "Now sit. You've delayed the game long enough." Ciel said with fake disapproval.

"My apologies." Sebastian said with just as fake remorse. They each took their positions and plucked a kernel from their bowls.

"Ready?" Red eyes flashed with determination.

"Damn right. Remember: you can't move to catch. It's all about aim."

Sebastian was the first to shoot. It twirled gracefully through the air, right into Ciel's waiting mouth.

"Not bad." The boy said as he munched on the corn. Ciel lifted his own hand and aimed at Sebastian's mouth. The kernel reached its target perfectly, surprising Ciel himself.

"Not bad yourself." Sebastian teased. "A lucky shot, perhaps?"

"Oh shut up." He threw one again, Sebastian opening his mouth right on time. Ciel realized something. "Can you even eat human food?"

"It disintegrates the moment it enters my mouth." He threw a kernel at Ciel, who munched thoughtfully after the catch.

"Huh…" Then his eyes widened. "That could've happened to my finger?!" He threw a kernel harder than before, hitting the corner of the demon's mouth. He smirked before throwing one back.

"Of course not. It's a conscious decision." Sebastian opened his mouth as he received the next kernel.

"What would happen if you didn't disintegrate it?" Sebastian threw him a kernel.

"Well, I said conscious but it's not exactly that." His nose wrinkled as Ciel's kernel hit his face.

"Sorry." Ciel saw in the demon's eyes the intention of throwing a kernel at his forehead. Ciel lifted the palm of his hand. "Don't start a war!"

Sebastian's eyes narrowed before he relaxed his arm and instead threw the kernel perfectly into Ciel's mouth.

"As I was saying, it's more like an automatic function. Like breathing. You can control your breathing if you become conscious of it, but it is natural for it to work on its own." He threw another kernel at Ciel.

"So you shouldn't eat human food?" Ciel threw more popcorn.

"It is not in my nature, no." Throw.

"But do you know what would happen if you did?" Catch.

"Would you like me to try?" Sebastian asked with a humored look. Ciel frowned.

"Um…"

"Here." Sebastian picked a single kernel from his bowl. He held it tentatively between his fingers before slowly nearing it to his mouth.

Ciel felt like the whole thing was overly dramatic, and yet his own heart seemed to beat faster at the suspense. Suddenly, he panicked.

"No!" He threw a kernel right at the one between Sebastian's fingers, efficiently hitting it out of the demon's hand.

There was silence as Sebastian stared at his empty hand. Ciel could practically feel the figurative storm forming.

Finally, the demon looked up at him with a challenge in his eyes.

"You've asked for it this time." He said, narrowing his eyes yet smirking.

Ciel gulped as he quickly got on his knees and took a better hold of his popcorn bowl. He took a handful of kernels and prepared himself.

Then the battle began, and for a moment Ciel forgot about everything else. Popcorn flew both past him and at him. The boy laughed as he shielded his face and continued to throw kernels mercilessly at the demon, who was showing no mercy himself. As Ciel moved to avoid popcorn, he crushed some that were littering the couch, but he didn't even care. He was laughing so hard he almost felt like nothing could ever matter again.

He should have realized the noise would have started Mey Rin.

"Young Master! Is everything all ri- AAAH!" The poor woman was a victim of stray bullets… which had been evidently thrown in the direction opposite to where Ciel was throwing.

The battle stopped. Ciel stared at Mey Rin in horror, cheeks burning up. Sebastian carefully placed the bowl on the sofa.

"M-M- wwh-what's going _on_ here!" The maid shook kernels off her hair. She stared nervously at Ciel, who was also quite covered in corn himself. Not just him… but the entire living room! It was a strange position to find him in…

He was holding a popcorn bowl, but she noticed a second one lying on the couch. Ciel cursed inwardly.

"O-oh! Is someone here with you?" Mey Rin asked with a smile, glad to make sense of it. She was, after all, sure that the popcorn she had been hit with had not been thrown by her young master but actually _at_ him.

Ciel sighed, knowing it would do him no good to try and make up a person.

"No… it's… just me…." His cheeks darkened terribly, and he heard Sebastian snicker. The boy was too mortified to be angry.

Mey Rin stared at him blankly before falling into light panic.

"W-what! B-but then… h-how…!?" She stared at Ciel, who looked away. Sebastian was seriously having to fight laughter now.

Shaking a bit, Mey Rin forced an unconcerned laugh.

"O-ok young master! J-just let me know when you're d-done… so I can… clean up…" Then Sebastian actually started to laugh. As in, out loud. Ciel wanted to be swallowed whole by the ground.

Once Mey Rin left the room, Ciel waited for a few seconds before tackling the demon off the couch as violently as possible.

"STOP LAUGHING YOU IDIOT!" Sebastian in turn just put his arms around Ciel's waist and held him close. "LET ME GO! AND SHUT UP!"

And to think that was the least worst moment. Ciel was cornered into worse situations… which actually means _Mey Rin_ was cornered into worse situations….

* * *

Ciel sat on the kitchen table, calmly reading a book and sipping his tea as Sebastian prepared dinner.

The atmosphere was peaceful and homey… and that was when Mey Rin ran into the house.

"I FORGOT TO TURN ON THE WASHING MA-" She froze as she saw pans on the stove, in the midst of cooking a meal, with Ciel sitting down and paying them no heed. She blinked in confusion, knowing that the boy was alone… or at least…

Ciel froze as well, before snapping out of it and standing up with a forced smile.

"O-oh Mey Rin! I-I was just-" He turned to look at Sebastian, who pointed at the food. Ciel's fake grin grew. "-In the middle of dinner!" He quickly moved to the stove, reaching for the nearest pan, which he almost burned himself with before finding the handle. Taking the spoon Sebastian had been using, he mindlessly began to move the food around. "T-the washing machine huh?" Ciel said, trying to distract Mey Rin from how obviously clueless he was about what he was doing. "You should be more careful!"

Yet Mey Rin seemed to disturbed by the sight to move along.

"Um… I-I think those onions are ready…"

Ciel looked at the food, and in fact they were onions already crispy and about to burn.

"A-a you're right! I-I'm just going to…"

"Add those other vegetables I cut up." Sebastian said, pointing at them.

"… add those o-other vegetables I cut up!" Ciel reached for them and was about to dump all of them into the pan when Sebastian suddenly took a hold of his wrist. "H-hey!"

Mey Rin gave a jump. Ciel cursed inwardly before glaring at Sebastian.

"There's a process for these sorts of things." The demon said seriously but Ciel could clearly hear his amusement.

"Y-young master?" Mey Rin said quietly. That was when Ciel realized that his hand was just lifted up, holding the vegetable bowl. He panicked slightly.

"R-right! I'm going to…" He tried moving his hand, but Sebastian wouldn't move. "T-to…!"

That was when a diabolic glint shown in Sebastian's eyes, and Ciel knew he was up to no good. Suddenly Sebastian was behind him, Position his legs before Ciel's own, taking control of each small hand with his own, and playfully setting his chin on the boy's shoulder.

Ciel yelped (making Mey Rin yelp as well) as his body began to move against his will along with Sebastian. There must have been something obviously unnatural in his puppet-like movements, or maybe Ciel just had a greatly panicked look, but Mey Rin looked horrified as Ciel "cooked".

Sebastian moved him from one side of the kitchen to the other, getting ingredients and giving fancy twirls before splashing olive oil onto meats and flawlessly cutting up even more vegetables. Sebastian's fingers, legs, and arms moving Ciel's own.

He noticed Mey Rin's expression, and tried to show some normality.

"Y-yeah so now I'm going to… move this around!" He narrated as Sebastian moved his hand up and down, making the ingredients on the pan fly into the air before being caught perfectly. The demon began to move him away.

"A-and now… now…" Ciel reached for a wine bottle. "S-some of this…" Sebastian chuckled against the boy's ear as he brought him back to the stove. "So I'm going to put this d-" Ciel expected Sebastian to set the bottle on the counter, but instead he opened it. "…or not." Ciel tried to make up for that. "So…. So im going to lightly pour it over the-" Sebastian happily splashed the pan with the alchohol, making a colum of fire rise.

"GAH!" Mey Rin yelled, Ciel opening his own mouth in shock.

This went on for some time. Mey Rin was simply unable to look away from the spectacle of Ciel's body moving limply yet agilely and looking mostly confused and horrified.

Soon the food started to come along. Sebastian cheerfully dipped Ciel's finger into the sauce.

"N-no!" Ciel stuttered. "I´m n-NOT going to taste that! I'm no-!" Then his finger found itself in his mouth, then back out again. "and I did it…." Ciel sighed in defeat. Sebastian chuckled.

Mey Rin stayed there until the food was finished and ready to serve. She was practically trembling.

"I-I think it's t-time I go ch-check the laundry!" She ran off as quickly as possible.

Sebastian let go of Ciel, the sudden weight causing the boy's knees to buckle. The demon caught him effortlessly before he hit the ground, leaning Ciel's body against his own.

"Thank you for your hard work today." Sebastian said teasingly against the boy's neck.

"Was that really necessary?" The boy muttered tiredly. "You're such a show off." He tried looking at the demon out of the corner of his eye. Sebastian intertwined their fingers. "You're being touchy today." He hummed, and Ciel could feel him smile against his skin.

* * *

And yet, that wasn't the worst situation…

This was totally and completely Sebastian's fault, according to Ciel.

"Brush your teeth."

"No."

"Ciel."

"I don't want to move."

It was barely mid day and Ciel already felt drained. He could seriously cry out of how relieved he was that it was Saturday, cause otherwise he would have not been able to function. He had barely had the motivation to eat lunch, and the moment he was done he dragged himself back into bed, ignoring Sebastian's insistence on hygiene.

"If you don't care for your teeth now, you will regret it later."

"I'm immortal. If it hurts too bad I'll just kill myself."

"Ciel." Sebastian said in a tone of warning. The boy whined as he clung to a pillow with all his might.

"I can't do it, Sebastian. Don't ask the impossible of me." The demon stood there and watched him for a long time. Ciel could almost feel his eyes burning the back of his skull. "Sebastiaaaaan! You're being mean and annoying!"

"And you are being childish."

"I'm sorry..." And that was how Sebastian knew that the boy was genuinely beyond exhausted: he would never apologize for something like that. " I'm just so tired…"

Sebastian sighed and patted the boy's head. Ciel's body lost some of its tension, and the pillow in his arms didn't look like it was suffocating anymore.

"I've thought of an idea." The demon slid his hands under the boy and picked him up. Ciel whined lightly until his head was against Sebastian's chest and he was resting once more. "This way you wont make any effort."

"thstpd…" Ciel muttered. Sebastian fought a chuckle.

"What was that?"

"this…is stupid…" the boy repeated, burying his face against the fabric of Sebastian's clothing.

They were almost at the bathroom, when a sudden scream shocked Ciel to his senses.

It was Mey Rin, who had just dropped the basket of laundry she had been holding as she stared at her floating young master…

_Oh shi-_

The maid turned around and ran away, another scream escaping her.

"Should I go after her?" Sebastian asked with a bored tone.

"This is all your fault!" Ciel scowled. Sebastian was about to argue, but Ciel just shook his head. "Later! Put me down! I need to deal with this."

"If you insist." The moment Ciel's feet touched the ground, he began to run after his maid. "I'm right behind you..." In those words, Ciel clearly heard the warning _"If she doesn't calm down, I'll deal with her..."_

"Mey Rin!" He called out as he ran. He was about to go out the door, when a flash of pink caught his eye. She was sitting in a corner of the kitchen, clutching her head.

"C-ciel!" The boy's eyes widened, considering she had only ever called him by his name once before. He should have acted with caution, but for some reason he felt no fear towards Mey Rin. Maybe it was just like with Sebastian: he was simply too close to them to fear them. He quickly neared her, and she gripped onto his shirt.

"I-I think I'm going insane…" She sobbed, tears dripping from her thick spectacles. Ciel felt terribly guilty at the amount of relief those words brought him. He petted her head.

"It's ok, Mey Rin. Take a few days off." With that, the pink haired girl hugged him tightly.

Thankfully, those incidents never reached Mrs. Phantomhive's ears. If they had, then everything would have gone downhill much faster than it actually did.

* * *

**WELCOME TO IMAGINE ETERNITY!**

**I'm so excited about these little fics! Some are going to be just plain and pure fluff while others will lead to a bigger plot. **

**Some info about Ciel's state as an "immortal". **

**\- He doesn't have his purple eye anymore since it was the seal of the contract which is no longer necessary since Ciel's soul is already in Sebastian. **

**-Sorry Ciel, but you are just as human as you were before! He still feels pain and everything just the same. His body is physically the same. **

**\- I have a theory that if Ciel and Sebastian are far away enough from each other, Ciel's soul, no matter how incredible, would not be able to influence Ciel's body anymore and he would fall into a sort of vegetative state. Sadly (luckily?), they were never far away enough for this theory to be tested. **

**-The only difference Ciel can tell is that he feels lighter. **

**In a later chapter we'll get more information on what would happen to Ciel if he were to die! Till then, enjoy the fluff!**


	2. Chapter 2

**This isn't as fluffy, but it's important!**

* * *

"CIEEEELUUUU!" Ciel winced, feeling once again terribly guilty at the amount of dread hearing his cousin's voice produced in him.

He didn't mean anything by it though! It wasn't like he could stop his body from tensing or his instincts from telling him to run every time Elizabeth threw her arms around him.

"Oh I've MISSED you so MUCH!" The excited blonde spoke loudly, rubbing her cheek against Ciel's own.

"You're yelling in my ear again!" Ciel knew he couldn't blame her for her actions, though.

Elizabeth was raised by his aunt Angelina Dales, who he nicknamed "auntie red" for her adoration and constant use of the color. They used to drop by the Phantomhive's home all the time. Ciel had very fond memories of Elizabeth, since she the only child who would ever play with him.

At a very young age, the girl declared her undying love for Ciel (Sebastian spent the next few days making fun of her, and Ciel had felt the need to defend her) and stated that they were now engaged. His mother and aunt had laughed a lot, but thought it was actually not a bad idea.

"They get along quite well! And it would be a good way to keep the family close." Mrs. Phantomhive spoke with a smile. So it was decided that Ciel and Elizabeth would be "engaged" unless either one of them had a proper suitor, which to this day neither have ever had.

Those happy years didn't last, though. One day, Auntie Red went out and was later found murdered. After that happened, Elizabeth became overprotected. She was homeschooled and had little to no contact with the outside world. Because of this, her social skills became quite lacking. She constantly yells and throws tantrums and cannot tell when she is bothering someone. Ciel truly cares about her, though.

This, of course, doesn't mean he wants to marry her.

"I can't believe I'll be staying here for a few days!" Elizabeth kept yelling. "I'm so happy!" She suddenly took hold of Ciel's hands and began spinning him in circles.

"G-aaah!" Ciel struggled to keep his footing. Suddenly Elizabeth let go of his hands so as to raise her own in joy, which made Ciel fall backwards. Sebastian quickly caught him and set him carefully on the floor.

That was when Ciel noticed the way the demon's emotionless face twitched. He had seen that expression every time the blonde girl came to visit.

"Ciel! What are you doing sitting there!? Let's go to the gardens!" Before Ciel could think of an excuse, Elizabeth pulled him to his feet with surprising strength and pulled him towards the house's exit. Sebastian followed close behind.

* * *

"You don't like Elizabeth."

Sebastian turned to look at Ciel, who was spread out on his bed after an exhausting day of being dragged around.

"What makes you think that?"

Ciel turned to meet those red eyes.

"It's just… every time you see her you try to seem expressionless, which already makes me feel like you're hiding something… and then there's like this tiny moment when you reveal what you actually feel… and it looked like disgust…" Sebastian watched him in silence. "I don't know… I guess… you've known Elizabeth for as long as I have… I just thought…"

"That I would care for her?"

"No… not necessarily."

Sebastian sat at the edge of the bed, and Ciel automatically moved to set his head on the demon's lap.

"I thought I had been clear about this through the years, but it seems like I must tell you." Sebastian let his fingers play with Ciel's hair. "I will always be on your side and only yours. There isn't any other creature in this world, or in any other, that matters to me in the slightest."

"That's kind of sad…" The boy muttered, but then he thought about it better. Did he love his mother? If he did, it was out of obligation and nothing more. His father? That was something he did not want to think about. Mey Rin? He appreciated her and worried often, but that was about it. He could state that he loved his aunt, but she was gone. Elizabeth? He _cared_ about her, wanted her to be happy, but was that enough? "… actually, I might be like that too."

Sebastian buried his face against Ciel's hair, letting an arm go around his shoulders. He pulled back enough to speak.

"Also, you know that I don't like it when someone other than me touches you."

"I can't do anything about that. You know how she is."

Sebastian was silent for some time. Ciel was beginning to drift to sleep when he spoke again.

"I also don't like how she intends to marry you." Ciel turned his body around so he was laying on his back now, looking up at Sebastian. The demon had a humorless smirk. "Vows tying you for "eternity" when we know who you're really tied to." He sighed. "If it were up to me, I'd make sure she never neared you again."

Ciel did not react to this. He stayed staring at the demon, expressionless. Sebastian pulled at Ciel's cheek and the boy's seriousness broke, pouting and swatting the hand away.

Then the boy's eyes seemed to sadden before he looked away.

"You can do it if you want." He muttered.

Sebastian blinked in surprise, not sure if he had understood correctly. Ciel mindlessly picked up Sebastian's hand and played with his fingers.

"I've been thinking about it… and I don't want this for her. Her thinking that we're alone, that we are that "one" person for each other... It's not fair to her or to me… I don't want to live lying to her…."

Sebastian closed his hand around Ciel's own. The boy looked up at him and he could immediately tell that the demon was trying not to show how pleased he was by Ciel's words.

"Are you sure?" They stared into each other's eyes for a long time before Ciel nodded. At that, Sebastian allowed himself a small smile.

* * *

The young blonde girl walked happily down the hall towards the guest room that had been assigned for her. She didn't notice the way a shadow was closing in behind her until it loomed over her. She stopped at the sight, before slowly turning around and being faced by a large and terrifying mass of darkness.

The girl shrieked and tried running away, but the darkness followed her. It began to bounce against the walls and floors and she covered her head in an attempt to protect herself. She wanted to yell for help but whenever she opened her mouth the darkness just seemed to grow more wild.

Suddenly she tripped and fell onto her bottom. The darkness then moved straight towards her, threatening and violent. She screamed before closing her eyes.

Nothing happened. She opened them and gasped at the darkness that had stopped inches away from her. Suddenly she was hit by a gurgling voice that seemed to originate and echo purely in her head.

**STAY AWAY FROM CIEL PHANTOMHIVE**

****STAY AWAY FROM CIEL PHANTOMHIVE****

**STAY AWAY FROM CIEL PHANTOMHIVE**

The sound terrified her more than anything ever had in her life. Shrieking once more, she suddenly ignored the darkness around her and ran off towards the house's exit as she desperately covered her ears.

She had no intentions of entering that house ever again.

* * *

Ciel was sitting against the board of the bed while hugging his knees tightly to his chest. He felt terrible about what he knew was happening outside his door, but he knew it was what had to be done.

_I can't give you what you're looking for, Elizabeth…_

Ciel didn't realize how alone he felt until he was washed by a wave of relief as the door opened and Sebastian entered the room.

…_And the truth is that I already have what I need_

"It is done." The demon said. Ciel shook his head, not wanting to hear about it. He extended his arms wordlessly. Immediately, Sebastian neared him and allowed himself to be pulled onto the bed. Lying on his side, he circled Ciel with his arms and held him tight.

"You wont come to regret this?" Sebastian asked. Ciel shook his head against the demon's chest.

"I know where I belong." At his words, the demon smirked.

"You mean to who."

Ciel felt himself regain some spirit. He pulled away and lifted an eyebrow playfully.

"I don't belong to you."

"Your soul is in my body."

"Because my soul _went_ to you! It's like I said! I know where I belong."

Sebastian gave a light snicker, but pulled Ciel back against his chest. Drifting to sleep, Ciel was suddenly wide awake when he heard Sebastian whisper "_Mine_."

He pulled away fast with a light scowl.

"What did you say?"

Sebastian gave a sly grin before planting a kiss on the boy's forehead.

"Nothing. Go to sleep."

* * *

**Gosh, poor Elizabeth. But we don't need her in this story! Ciel only needs Sebastian!**

**Anyway, I think I'm going to start with the "Imagine Innocence" fics before I add any more here. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Just some thoughts on your comments before I let you to your fluff of the day!**

**Right now, Ciel's mom has done nothing and mentioned nothing about the whole "sebastian" thing because she lives in constant denial and will not act until she feels absolutely and completely cornered to do so. This will be a main issue later on.**

**Haha don't worry, Aanchai puri, this story isn't yaoi. They just have a really deep and complex bond. Ciel has spent every moment with Sebastian for practically his entire life so there is literally no one he is closer to. Sebastian also, in all his years, had never become so close to a single person so this prompts him to be possessive and protective over the boy. The possessiveness started with his desire for Ciel's soul, but it grew into a lot more than that. Their touches are never sexual, but definitely intimate. Their relationship can be narrowed down to them constantly teasing and worrying about each other. **

* * *

Sebastian is the definition of mother hen.

Ciel has known this since he was little. It had always been Sebastian, not his mother, who would remind him to brush his teeth before going to sleep, or to tie his shoelaces unless he wanted to fall on his face.

When Sebastian became capable of touching him, this "trait" grew exponentially. Now the demon would be the one to tie his shoelaces, force an extra layer of clothing before going out, and even pick him up before reaching cracks or steps that he was sure Ciel was going to miss even though the boy had noticed them from a meter away.

Being relatively used to it, the actions would only receive a pout or occasional frustration. The truth was though that they made Ciel feel cared after, and he appreciated that. Not that he would ever tell the demon.

Yet, some things received more frustration than gratitude...

* * *

Ciel hummed as he watched Sebastian prepare tea. The boy was in a particularly good mood for some reason. Sebastian smirked at the sound, but decided not to comment.

"You know what? I think I'm going to make myself a nutella sandwich." The boy said with ease before standing.

"There's no need for you to-"

"I feel like moving around a bit! You shouldn't be the only productive one in the kitchen!"

Sebastian watched Ciel's small figure out of the corner of his eye as the boy moved to the pantry and took the bag of bread, humming all the way. He made his way to the counter and took out a knife from the drawer. The boy made an acknowledging noise as Sebastian took the nutella out of the cupboard it was in and placed it next to Ciel's other ingredients.

Ciel gracefully twisted the jar's cap to revel its creamy interior.

"I don't understand why you like that substance so much."

"You're making me sound like a drug addict."

"You got the addict part." Ciel ignored him and began spreading the goods over his slice of bread. "It's too sweet. You wont be able to appreciate the tea."

"Oh, please. We both know your abilities with tea should not be underestimated."

The boy decided the spread was thick enough. He put the knife into his mouth and sucked at the nutella left on its blade.

He was unaware that the action had caused any sort of reaction from Sebastian, until the blade had passed his lips and the demon snatched Ciel's wrist. The boy turned to look at him with a mixture of confusion and annoyance before it was replaced with surprise.

"Don't put a _knife — _something made to cut meat — into your mouth, which _is_ meat." Sebastian spoke calmly, yet he looked far from it. His body was tense and his forehead wrinkled even though it was obvious he was trying to maintain his expression as neutral as possible.

Ciel scowled, hating how logical his words sounded. Still, his rebellious teenager side insisted that there was no way he was going to let Sebastian win at such a trivial matter.

"Seriously? You got riled up because of _that_? Nothing's going to happen!" He pulled his wrist out of the demon's grasp. "It's not like the Joker got his cuts by accident." They had recently watched the second Batman movie.

Sebastian gave a frustrated sigh, which actually surprised Ciel quite a bit.

"I suppose there are some things you are still too young to understand."

"Really? You're going to play the age card on me? Not even my mother does that."

"I am much older than your mother."

"Still! She's my mother! I should expect stupid things like that from her! Not you!"

"Only someone who is immature would see safety as stupid."

"Oh, come on! This knife is hardily sharp! I can barely cut a cake's crust with it, much less meat!"

Sebastian stared at him in silence at that comment. Ciel stared back. Then the demon moved towards the utensil drawer and took out a completely flat and dull knife made specifically for spreading. Wordlessly he extended it towards the boy, who stared at it in almost disbelief.

_Seriously_…?

Barely fighting a defeated sigh, Ciel reached for the spreading knife. He dipped it into the nutella, and put it into his mouth, giving Sebastian a look of _"does this please you?"_

And it actually did. His body lost its tension, and a smile graced his lips.

* * *

It was not as ridiculous, though, as that time Sebastian found a bruise on Ciel's arm while he dressed the boy for school.

When the removed long-sleeve pajama shirt revealed the injury, the demon froze. He held Ciel's arm and stared at the bluish purplish spot.

"Huh… how did that get there?" The boy wondered. It had already been a few months since his time in the hospital, so he knew it hadn't been a souvenir from their "fun" with Claude. Ciel couldn't remember any recent hits, but his skin was quite pale and prone to bruising so it didn't surprise him much.

Sebastian lifted a finger over the speck, but dared not touch it.

"I don't know…" There was bitterness in his voice, which made Ciel look up at him in surprise. There was a frown on the demon's face and he glared at the bruise, as if wanting it to reveal the secrets of its origin.

Ciel was actually pretty surprised at the fact that Sebastian didn't know how the bruise got there. Usually he was on top of everything that went on in Ciel's life, and he knew that Sebastian remembered everything, which means he simply didn't _notice_ when it happened.

For the rest of the day, the demon kept a slight frown on his face. Ciel felt more and more annoyance built up as the demon didn't seem to quit beating himself up over the mysterious cause of the bruise. During school, Ciel found himself gripping his pencil tightly and keeping himself from throwing it at Sebastian's face and yelling at him to just get _over_ himself…

So in the walk back home, Ciel could stand it no more. He came to a sudden stop, causing Sebastian to stop as well.

"What is it?" The demon asked with his stupid frown still present. Ciel scowled for a second before clearing his throat and taking on a neutral expression. He let his backpack fall to the ground, which made Sebastian raise an eyebrow. The boy took off his blue sweater, revealing a short-sleeved shirt, which in turn revealed the accursed and mysterious injury.

"Let's deal with this, shall we?" Ciel said in an almost violent tone, positioning his arm before him. "This is a bruise. It should come as no surprise, being as I'm so "delicate", like you say."

The frustration that had been in Sebastian's expression all day seemed to turn into some form of guilt. Ciel hissed internally before finally taking the step he knew would end everything. Wordlessly, he moved his arm towards Sebastian.

The demon's face suddenly became blank as he stared at Ciel's offered arm. Then understanding filled his eyes and they grew soft. Ciel looked away as the demon took a light hold of his arm and planted a kiss on the bright bruise.

Blushing lightly, the boy pulled his arm away.

"There. It'll be fine now, so you can forget about it." As he put on his sweater and reached for his backpack, Ciel pointedly refused to look at Sebastian, but was internally gladdened by the certainty that, if he were to look, that frown would be gone for good. Once they began walking again, Ciel soon felt Sebastian press against his side.

_Mother hen… _Was all the boy could think.

Sebastian's actions could be quite annoying… but that didn't mean that Ciel didn't need them in his life.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, I got really sick right at the time I started writing this (creepy, huh? you'll see) so I've been really slow about it. **

* * *

When Ciel was born, the doctor declared he had a "weak" constitution and that he would be prone to illness for the rest of his life.

The boy quickly showed signs of being asthmatic, and was one of those people blessed (or cursed) with the doctor's "recommendation" of avoiding exercising as much as the years, Ciel's asthma had become well controlled, but this did not change the fact that his weak lungs made him sick every winter. It used to be worse when he was younger, with him getting sick at least once a month, but that is a memory to be looked into elsewhere.

Every time Ciel got sick, it was the same routine: At first, his mother would fuss over even the smallest sniff or sneeze, yet the moment it turned into an actual sickness she would suddenly disappear. She would never take him to the hospital or even call a doctor.

"It's just a cold." She forcefully stated to Mey Rin as she walked out the door, pointedly avoiding the maid's eyes. "He'll get over it in a blink."

She would spend even longer periods of time away from the house than usual–afraid, perhaps, of facing the fact that even the smallest of colds could evolve into something capable of taking her son's life.

"Maybe she feels somehow guilty? Like it's her fault i was born this way?" Ciel mused, laying in bed and looking at Sebastian as the demon took the thermometer from the boy's armpit.

"She just deals with this like she does with any other problem." Sebastian said calmly, but there was a hint of bitterness to his tone. He looked at the thermometer. "37.4"

"Thats normal, isn't it?" Ciel uselessly attempted.

"We both know your regular body temperature is slightly colder than other people's. 36 is fever for you."

"You probably have something to do with that." Ciel teased with a smirk. "Being so long with someone so cold blooded _has_ to have its effects."

And that was usually how it would go. Elizabeth would also come visit, but after the "incident" during her last visit she had pointedly stated that she would never enter the Phantomhive home again, but that she wished Ciel the best.

So the routine lives on. Like always, Ciel would battle the illness for a few days and joke around with Sebastian until he got better.

But there were sometimes cases where he wouldn't get better, and it looked like this would be one of them.

Ciel was woken the next morning by a violent coughing fit. He then threw up over the side of the bed, and almost passed out in Sebastian's arms.

"Ciel!" The demon did not like the way Ciel's head was lulling to the side or how the blue of his eyes could hardily be seen. He forcefully shook the boy. "Stay awake, Ciel!" He insisted, bringing the boy back to the edge of consciousness.

Mey rin eventually walked into the room to bring breakfast, and noticed Ciel's condition. Without Mrs. Phantomhive's consent, she called a doctor.

* * *

A quick listening to Ciel's lungs, and it was clear he had the beginnings of pneumonia. He said Ciel needed a nebulizer, which they already had from previous cases. Mey rin set it up for the boy, who sighed tiredly.

"I hate those processes." He muttered. They consisted of breathing in vaporized salt water, then having his back patted hard to loosen the phlegm in his lungs. Since his mother was busy being in denial, it was always Mey Rin who had to do this during these times, but she was always so careful and scared about it that Sebastian was always frustrated at how ineffective they were.

But now, Sebastian could finally take matters into his own hands. After Ciel obediently breath in the heavy air ("You have to take deeper breaths." "Shut up, this stuff is gross."), and Mey Rin clumsily patted the boy's back ("That felt more like a cheap massage than anything else."), Sebastian positioned his own hand over the boy's back.

"Let me know if it hurts." He rose his hand and let his palm fall heavily, practically forcing the breath out of Ciel's chest. The boy immediately knew Sebastian was doing the right thing since he could feel the liquid inside his lungs every time the demon's hand landed on his back. He really was sore afterwards, and Sebastian made up for it with an actual massage.

And it seemed to work for a few days. Ciel's condition seemed to become stagnant. They'd spend the day lazying around and being thankful the sickness had come right on winter break so there would be no stressing over catching up on homework.

One day, as they watched a movie in the living room, Ciel suddenly let his head fall onto Sebastian's shoulder. The demon immediately knew something was wrong since the boy had lately been extra careful because Mey Rin was looking after him in his illness and they had already had one too many "strange" happenings with the poor maid.

"Ciel?" Sebastian looked at the boy, who weakly turned so his forehead would be pressing against the demon's shoulder. He immediately felt the boy's high temperature. Sebastian cursed under his breath.

Without a second thought, he picked Ciel up bridal style and took him to his room. He got a bowl of cold water and dipped a towel into it, running it over the boy's forehead. Ciel shivered at the contact. He tried opening his eyes, but everything was blurry.

"S-sebastian…" The boy's tone was almost frightened.

"Shhh." The demon said softly, tracing Ciel's face with the cool object. "Your fever has risen, that is all."

He spent the rest of the day watching over the boy's temperature. It continued to rise and fall, Ciel going in and out of consciousness. Mey Rin did not enter the room until much later with Ciel's food. When she noticed the boy was asleep, she left the food on the bedside table and left. Sebastian gave a frustrated sigh.

"What is she doing? You need to eat." He leaned over Ciel's body before shaking him carefully. "Ciel. Ciel it is time for your supper." The boy groaned, which signaled Sebastian to sit him up.

Blinking tiredly, the boy yawned before rubbing his eyes.

"I feel better now…" he murmured.

"That's good. Mey Rin brought you soup." The boy gave a small smile.

"Only good thing about being sick, huh?" He dipped his spoon into the bowl. "That, and tea with honey."

"Whose tea with honey? Mey Rin's or mine?" The demon couldn't help tease.

"Don't ask stupid questions." The boy said, fighting a smile.

Sebastian watched him as he ate. He was acting normal until there was a sudden change in his expression and he put down the spoon.

"What's wrong?" The demon immediately asked.

"I… I can't have any more." Ciel stated. He picked the bowl up and offered it to Sebastian.

"You've barely eaten half."

"I really… can't have more." Something in Ciel's tone made Sebastian take the plate. Ciel took slow and deep breaths before lying back down. "Make sure Mey Rin doesn't find out I didn't finish it."

"If you insist." Sebastian said, but left the dish just as it was.

* * *

Food became a major issue. Ciel would allow less and less spoonfuls into his mouth.

"I can't Sebastian…." The boy answered at the demon's instance. "I feel… nauseous…." This concerned Sebastian, knowing that if Ciel didn't eat he _would_ need to go to the hospital.

And then things got worse.

That fateful morning, a single spoonful was enough. Suddenly Ciel's eyes widened and he signed to Sebastian "_bin_"

Sebastian quickly pulled the trash bin to Ciel's side, and the boy threw up into it. That marked the beginning of his painful relationship with the container.

That bin became a new extremity of Ciel's body. Trying to get him to eat became useless, as he started to become sick even without it. Each regurgitation seemed more pained than the last, leaving Ciel gasping, almost sobbing, at each gag.

The nebulizer's gas itself made him sick, and it made Sebastian hate himself to force Ciel to keep breathing in the thing which caused him so much pain, yet the demon knew was also the only thing that could stop it.

Throwing up once more, the boy curled up on his side, practically hugging the bin. A whimper escaped his lips, and Sebastian felt his strength falter. He carefully peeled Ciel's fingers away from the bin, receiving a panicked noise from he boy that made Sebastian curse absolutely everything. He laid on the bed and tightly pulled the boy into his arms, who instinctively curled into him. Sebastian listened to his watery and difficult breaths, and experiences his most hated sensation: helplessness.

* * *

Days went on like this. Sebastian moved his fingers comfortingly through Ciel's hair as the boy battled wheezes and coughs. When it was time for the treatment, Ciel would now even cower away from it, trembling and trying to hide his face against the pillow. The boy would hardily speak, and when he did it was to ask to be held.

Then things got better. The ever present bin began to be used less and less throughout the day. Suddenly Ciel was awake more often than asleep. There was light in his eyes once more, and he seemed conscious of his surroundings. But he still didn't eat, and his breathing was just as bad: Sebastian was not tricked.

In one of those days, Sebastian decided to clean around the room just for the sake of entertaining Ciel with something. The boy watched him with a light curl of the lips as the demon mindlessly lifted an entire desk with one hand and made sure there was nothing under it. Ciel gave a light laugh, before looking away.

"Sebastian…"

The demon put the desk down, feeling the sudden need to be close to his boy. Ciel's smile grew sad.

"It wouldn't be so bad if I died, right? We'd just get to eternity a little sooner than we thought..."

Sebastian immediately went to his side and held the boy's face in his hands.

"Ciel. Look at me." He ordered. The boy, for once, did as he was told. The demon's eyes were hard. "You are _not_ going to die."

They both knew Sebastian had no actual authority, but the boy still smiled.

_The way you say it… I can't help believing you…_

"Ok." He murmured. At those words, Sebastian's shoulder's loosened, and his expression became tired. He let his head fall onto Ciel's chest. The boy placed a hand on the demon's back while mindlessly playing with his hair with the other. Sebastian closed his eyes, and listened to Ciel's noisy and unhealthy breathing.

* * *

Once the boy was asleep, Sebastian removed himself from the room and stood before the house phone. He willed his form to remain true to this world, and picked up the apparatus as he dialed the number of a very specific person's secretary.

The line was answered, and before the female on the other end could speak, Sebastian hissed.

"Tell Mr. Phantomhive that his son is dying, and that if he cared in the slightest he would at least be aware of it." With that, he hanged up.

* * *

Those "good days" had been the calm before the storm. The next morning, Ciel's fever rose to 39. Even the cool water did nothing to make the boy better. Sebasian cursed under his breath, feeling desperate enough to consider heading towards the nearest hospital even if it made Ciel look like he was floating. He forced himself to reason that that would only cause the boy more problems and people would be too afraid to near him, let alone treat him.

The day continued with the fluctuating fever. Ciel was outright gasping for air, breathing hard and fast through his mouth. He was even too weak to move away when Sebastian neared the nebulizer, and coughed painfully when his body registered the substance entering his lungs.

The boy began to whine. The sound was one so child-like and innocent that Sebastian could almost state he felt genuine pain at the noise. Tears leaked out of the corners of Ciel's eyes, and Sebastian watched with a bitter expression before taking a deep breath and nearing the boy to turn him around.

Then the room's door opened. Sebastian looked up and froze in actual shock.

Nothing but Ciel's tiny sobs and whimpers could be heard as the person walked towards the boy's bed.

He placed a hand over the boy's forehead for a moment. Everything about it seemed to stir Ciel's nerves.

_That hand… I know that hand…._

Ciel's weak and pained eyes fluttered open. Through wet vision he saw a pair of soft blue eyes.

_Father…_

The man moved his hand to Ciel's head, and petted the boy. Sebastian watched as a smile appeared on Ciel's lips before the tear that had been hanging onto the edge of his eye finally slipped down his cheek. The boy's body grew limp.

* * *

Mr. Phantomhive sent Ciel to the hospital that very day. He was treated right away: a few injections to lower the fever, and an x-ray showing his lungs lighting up like a Christmas tree with the infection.

The man did not stay to see his son recuperate, but Sebastian couldn't find it in himself to be angry at that.

Elizabeth was informed that Ciel had been moved to the hospital, but even then she refused to go visit him, sending flowers and good wishes instead.

The boy woke up, feeling a sense of deja-vu at the sound of the heart monitor and the sight of white walls. His vision cleared up and he soon noticed Sebastian before him.

"Hey you." Ciel spoke, a weak grin on his face.

"Hey you." Sebastian said back. The demon neared the boy and petted his head. "How do you feel?"

"Way better." The boy blinked as he remembered what had happened before he had passed out. "You called my father?"

The demon's smile faltered, and he looked away.

"He got there just in time to save the day."

"Tsk, don't be so dramatic." Sebastian raised an eyebrow at Ciel's words. He hadn't expected the boy to undermine his father's actions. "We both know who did all the dirty work." Ciel's eyes softened. "and who truly did the saving."

A week of intense and professional care, and Ciel was back to normal.

But, as Ciel said, we know who truly did the saving.

* * *

**And Mr. Phantomhive finally appears! Look at him caring about his son! Yet if it wasn't for that mysterious call you'd be caring for his funeral! Some parenting skills ya got there, man. **


	5. Chapter 5

**It's been so long! Sorry! But today is Ciel's birthday so I forced myself to give up on studying and just finishing this fic which i've been working on since forever. I also have a "birthday" chapter but it's not ready yet so we'll see when I have time to finish it. I also have more imagine innocence chapters but i just haven't had time to finish theeeeem ugh. **

**Anyway HAPPY BIRTHDAY CIEL; I'LL FINISH THE BIRTHDAY FIC SOON!**

* * *

"Ciel."

"Hm?"

The demon rolled his eyes at the boy's feigned innocence. Ciel did not look away from his book, very comfortable with his feet up against the bed's headboard.

"Isn't there something more important you should be doing?" Sebastian spoke slowly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"_Ciel_."

The boy sighed, letting his book fall onto his stomach.

"Come on, Sebastian! I've only been back for a week! I'm in no mood for homework." He went back to his book. "Specially on vacations." Sebastian watched him for a moment.

"I see. Then you are in the "mood" to fail the school year."

Ciel hissed, covering his face with his book.

"You're the worst." The demon gave a light smirk, reaching down for Ciel's book and taking it away. Immediately the boy sat up and made a disagreeing noise that reminded Sebastian of a cat and which he immediately adored.

Before he could tease him about it, Ciel went quiet- listening to something. He then turned to Sebastian.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"What?" This time the demon was who feigned innocence.

The boy smirked.

"That there is a fly in the house."

* * *

"YOU FIEND WILL NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY!" Mey rin swatted madly with a newspaper, efficiently knocking down a lamp. A minuscular dark dot flew away from the rampage, unaffected.

"HO! DON'T THINK YOU ARE SAFE!" She lifted her arms and ran after the bug, tripping on the broom she had abandoned in exchange for the sudden chase. The fly flew over her head as she sat up, fixing her crooked glasses. The sound immediately riled her up once more. "COME HE-AH!" She tripped over the wooden stick again before finally regaining her footing. "COME HERE, YOU!"

In that moment, Ciel entered the kitchen. An unbecoming giggle escaped his lips, which he soon covered to prevent more, but unable to fight a smile. Sebastian sighed at what he knew would keep the boy distracted for a while, but the little sounds escaping him were worth it.

"YOUNG MASTER! I'VE ALMOST GOT IT!" His maid assured with excitement before following the bug into the living room. Ciel shook his head with amusement before reaching for Sebastian's hand and pulling him along after the maid.

When they entered the room, the boy made an odd sound that started as a snort but ended as a laugh. The couch's many pillows were littered everywhere, all the fancy figures and decorations were either toppled over or simply gone from their spot and nowhere to be seen, and everyone was thankful mey rin had only a newspaper in her hand as she hit the television screen with all her might.

"GAH!" She yelled as the fly escaped the paper's grand judgment once again. It flew past Ciel's shoulder, and Sebastian immediately pulled him back to allow Mey Rin's blind rampage for justice.

Ciel watched her go, releasing his built up amusement in a deep sigh.

"Should I clean up here?" Sebastian offered, knowing the maid was too focused on her task to remember which rooms she had and hadn't trashed.

"Not now, come on." They walked out the door and followed the noise into the kitchen, just for the boy to feel himself be pulled back again and have Mey rin run past him towards the hallway, yelling unintelligibly. At that moment, the phone began to ring.

"GAH!" Mey Rin yelled, knowing she had to answer the phone but at the same time finding herself incapable of yielding. Ciel chuckled.

"I guess I'll get it." He muttered, entering the kitchen and picking up one of the many phones in the house.

"Phantomhive household."

"Ciel?"

The boy froze as he recognized the voice at the other end of the line. Sebastian's eyes narrowed, hearing everything perfectly. Ciel swallowed hard, forcing his speech to be normal.

"Good evening, father."

"Good evening as well! It's fortunate you have picked the phone; I was going to have Mey Rin inform you that I've offered our home to host the company's next meeting. You will be joining us, yes?" Ciel barely had the time to open his mouth before the man continued. "Wonderful. My secretary has already made most of the arrangements, just make sure Mey Rin has the house presentable for tonight, and you as well!"

"O-of course, father."

"All is well, then. I'll be seeing you tonight."

"Yes. See you then." The line went dead. Ciel stared at the phone for a moment before hanging it up with a frustrated sigh. "He's never done this before…." He muttered to Sebastian.

"It would seem your sickness may have attracted his attention." The demon spoke emotionlessly.

"At least enough for him to want to be in the same room as me for one day more in the year." Ciel said with a snort. _You know, before he forgets about me for the rest of eternity… _

Ciel shook his head at his own thoughts; he really should have outgrown them by now. The boy scowled at Sebastian´s frown.

"Stop having such an annoying expression! It´s not like he´s your father."

"But he _is_ yours." That hit Ciel very hard all of a sudden.

That´s right… he _was_ his father… father… didn't that imply…. Some form of commitment? Commitment…

Ciel swallowed the lump in his throat before clearing it.

"That matters not. Let´s go see if I have anything decent to wear for tomorrow. You can clean up Mey Rin's mess after that."

Ciel could feel Sebastian´s eyes follow him as he turned around and walked towards his room.

"If you insist."

_So much for homework. _

* * *

It was time for the party/meeting/father-son quality time. Sebastian took a step back as he finished straightening the collar of Ciel's dark blue suit.

"Dashing enough?" The boy asked, almost bitterly. Sebastian fought a smirk.

"Elizabeth would have a field day."

Ciel rolled his eyes before going out the door.

"Is anyone here yet?" He asked as they walked down the hall.

"There is a car entering the drive in."

Ciel took a deep breath as they reached the door and stood before it. There were a lot of people who could be arriving, after all they were expecting some cake deliveries, and some background musicians, and yet Ciel´s body seemed to be sure of something the boy wasn't, as his legs felt slightly unstable.

Then his father entered the house, and Ciel felt his own back tense as he unintentionally stood straighter. He experienced that annoying feeling in his stomach that invaded him every time he was in the same room as his father.

"Oh, Ciel. Good to see you're ready." The man spoke easily with a charming smile. Ciel felt it pull at his chest but the boy refused to let himself feel anything. He forced a plastic smile on his face.

"Evening, father. Should I inform Mey rin of the number of guest joining us?" This was the most he had spoken to his father in half a year.

"Oh, there´ll be no need for her: I have hired a few extra hands for the night so they will have everything under control." He neared his son and placed a hand lightly on his shoulder. "I trust you´ve been doing well?"

Ciel fought the instinct to flinch under his touch. He heard Sebastian give an almost inaudible growl.

"Everything is as always." _Not that you know what that is…_

"Good. Good." The man nodded. With a last look at Ciel´s face, he walked towards his office, which was where he usually kept himself during his visit.

Ciel´s face felt tight and painful from holding his smile. He was about to let it drop when his father turned to face him once more.

"Oh, Ciel! One last thing." The boy straightened once again, slightly startled.

"Y-yeah?"

"It is the birthday of one of our guests. He is quite fond of wine so he has promised to bring lots for us all to enjoy. I expect you to drink too, since it would be of bad manners to dismiss such a gift."

Ciel blinked in slight surprise.

"Drink?"

"Certainly. You are nearly of age, are you not?"

"… I´m 13."

"Oh well, I indulged in fine wines long before that. It will be no trouble." With that, he left to his study.

Ciel stood in silence there for a moment. It was interrupted by Sebastian, who seemed suddenly unable to hold back his thoughts.

"Nearly of age…" He muttered under his breath.

"Sebastian." The boy warned. It was rare for the demon to voice his negative opinions about Mr. Phantomhive. Ciel knew he had them, but Sebastian knew well enough not to speak of them.

"If in the next blink of his eyes 5 years of your life were to pass, he would not even-"

"Enough."

The demon went quiet and stared at Ciel, who avoided his eyes. The boy clenched his fists before looking up with a bitter smirk.

"Just shut up, yeah?" He turned and began walking to his room. They spent the few first steps in silence before Sebastian spoke once more.

"Forgive me. I was not thinking."

Ciel snorted.

"Oh, I know exactly what you were thinking." He said, playing with the fabric of his shirt. "You know it´s what I´m thinking too. I don´t need to hear it."

They continued walking. Ciel finally took a deep breath, and forced himself to release all his built up tension in it. He turned to look at Sebastian.

"I´m more interested in hearing your thoughts about the drinking. You think anyone will get a little tipsy?"

"That would be quite the spectacle."

"Yes, exactly what I´d love to be doing with my day: watch some old rich guys get drunk as they talk about other ways to continue getting rich and old."

"Actually, my bet is more on you." The demon smirked lightly. Ciel scowled.

"As if my father would allow that! It would look ridiculous to have the host's 13 year old kid hiccupping around the place!"

"Oh, were you not 18?" Sebastian dared. Ciel almost gasped at his comment before fully stopping and hitting him repeatedly with his little fists.

"**Shut up**! You´re such an idiot!" He said, almost laughing. The demon caught his fists with ease, leading Ciel to more struggling.

"Oh, you´re right: These are childish efforts."

"Shut up! I´ll be 14 in a week!"

"And I will be an eternity more than that." He smirked.

"Big deal! So will I someday, so stop being snotty!" Ciel finally pulled away as Sebastian chuckled.

"Snotty? Someone hasn´t checked a thesaurus in a long time."

The boy hissed, his face blushing.

"Shut up!"

Ciel was feeling a little better. He had been heading towards his room to take a break from the situation before heading on out again, but he felt much more stable now. He stopped walking and turned back to where they came from.

"Careful with sudden movements, you might get dizzy." The demon teased.

"Why don´t you actually shut up for once."

As they walked back through the hall, Ciel´s thoughts couldn´t help drift back to his father. Usually when the man came, Ciel forced himself to be unfeeling. It was the only way he could… be ok with the situation.

And yet during his sickness he had experienced a moment of weakness. He had let himself feel joy and relief and affection, which lead to unavoidable disappointment that Ciel was then conscious enough to force away as soon as it was detected.

There was no point to those feelings, or to any when it came to his father.

"There are some thoughts that are best not to get lost in." Sebastian spoke, cutting clean through Ciel´s pondering, for which he was grateful.

* * *

"So this is the future head of the company! It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, young man!" Yet another generic, rich, business guy said to Ciel as he shook his hand.

"The pleasure is mine." The boy spoke cordially, his father nodding approvingly at his side.

The meeting hadn't even started, and Ciel was _tired_ already. He was tired of all the people showing so much "interest" in him while he could feel Sebastian tensing or sending death glares at particular people which Ciel understood had less than pure intentions. Those few felt a shiver down their backs as they walked past the boy.

He was tired of his father presenting him as if he was some grand art piece won at an auction: something to be proud to posses, and that others should look at with awe. The joy in his voice and the affectionate hand on Ciel's shoulder all made the boy feel drained.

"Do you enjoy wine, my boy?" Ciel blinked out of his daze as he realized he was being spoken to.

"Excuse me?"

"I've brought many different kinds with me! Which is of your preference?"

"I... I've never had wine before." He admitted calmly. The man cackled and gave Ciel a strong pat in the shoulder that pushed him back onto Sebastian, who circled the boy with his arms and kept him there, a step farther away from the man.

"I see! I wonder if you'll be able to keep up with us! We are all avid drinkers when it comes to something as fine as this!" The man teased.

"Oh, he will." Mr. Phantomhive said with certainty, making Ciel's stomach sink. "Right, Ciel?"

"I..." Sebastian tightened his arms around the boy, and Ciel felt himself relax a bit. "I'll do my best."

"Wonderful! So glad we had this little chat, young sir." The man walked away, and Ciel fought the instinct to sigh in relief.

"That makes everyone. We should head into the dining room now."

"Ok." Ciel said, feeling as Sebastian pulled him closer and gave a teasing kiss against his neck. The boy smirked and swatted over his shoulder as if there was a fly bothering him. "I'll be right there." He said, giving Sebastian a look of superiority as his voice was calm and proved himself unaffected by the action.

_Careful or I'll see that as a challenge. _The demon signed.

They walked into the dining room, everyone already seated along the long and thick marble table.

_Stand beside me today. _Ciel signed.

Usually Sebastian would stand across from him whenever he was forced to do something boring so they could sign and be distracted, but today Ciel felt different. He took a seat beside his father, and Sebastian obediently stood close to him.

As the men began their discussion, the hired waiters brought in the wine, pouring cup after cup to everyone. Ciel lifted his cup calmly, appreciated its scent for a moment before taking a sip. It was good, but he didn't understand how they could be drinking it so fast.

"Ciel." The boy looked at his father who courtly motioned for him to continue drinking, having himself been served a second glass. The boy tried to look around as casually as possible and noticed that he was being watched. Without thinking, the boy took the glass to his lips and chugged it all down as gracefully as he could. He heard a few approving murmurs before they focused back on the man who was speaking. Ciel took a breath as he put the cup down, feeling slightly dizzy.

"These people are ridiculous; are you really going to do this?" Ciel heard sebastian's disapproving words in his ear. Before he could think about them, his cup was being filled again and his father gave him an expectant look.

And as he chugged the next cup, all he could think was: _I really hate rich old men. _

* * *

At 2 cups he could hardily hear the men speaking anymore. At 3 cups everything felt blurry and unreal. At 4 cups he could hardily hold his laughter as he realized how much he hated almost everyone present in that room.

"**Ciel**. You need to **stop**." Sebastian said forcefully holding onto the boy's shoulders and trying to get him to snap out of it. He knew it was dangerous to speak to him in such state for the boy could easily speak back without realizing how terrible that would be.

Instead, though, the boy began to giggle. He covered his mouth with his hand trying to keep quiet. Sebastian raised an eyebrow in surprise, then scowled. Enough was enough.

A waiter came and began refiling Ciel's glass. The moment the boy's hand came in contact with it, Sebastian pushed it out of his grip and it landed on the floor.

The sound wasn't loud enough to stop the meeting, but it did attract the eyes of a few people.

"Ooops." The boy spoke with a giggle. "I _dropped_ it..."

As one of the waiters came to clean the stain, Sebastian carefully pulled back Ciel's chair and helped the boy to his feet.

"I think I'll go get some air." He said absentmindedly, holding tightly onto Sebastian for balance. His father watched him with slight surprise before going back to business and hoping no one thought too much of his son's actions.

* * *

Ciel was still laughing as they stepped out of the house. Sebastian was in slight disbelieve of the boy's state. In a moment of curiosity, the demon picked Ciel up and spun him around, actually lifting the boy off the ground. Any other day he would have received lots of cursing and blushing, but today the boy just cheered and laughed.

"You really are far gone." The demon stated with a snicker as he set Ciel down but not letting him go for fear that he would fall. "Your alcohol resistance is poorer than I thought."

The boy giggled, leaning freely on Sebastian´s hold.

"That´s not my fault! I shouldn't even be drinking!" Then Ciel blinked as if a thought had just sparked in his mind. He went on his tip toes and poked the demon on the nose. "Boop."

Sebastian snickered as the boy fell back into his arms with laughter.

"We should distance ourselves from the house, considering your state."

"Whatever you say!" Ciel said cheerfully, much more obliging than he ever would be sober.

"I guess I know how to get you to agree with me, huh?"

"Yeah!" The boy said, not understanding the comment. Sebastian shook his head in amusement. He picked up the boy bridal style, Ciel giggling as he set his head against Sebastian´s chest.

The demon soon found a spot at the nearby park. He sat with his back against a tree´s bark, Ciel making himself comfortable between his crossed legs.

Not being able to help wanting to poke some more fun at the boy for his condition, he released his hold on him, and Ciel let himself fall happily, leaning his back on Sebastian´s leg and raising his arms, laughing as everything turned upside down. Sebastian shook his head again.

"Let us agree not to have you drink ever again."

"Aw, this isn´t so bad!" Ciel giggled at the grass tickling his cheek.

"Your cognitive functions are not at their best… to put it kindly." The demon said, fighting laughter.

"It´s fiiiiine. If I did something stupid, you´d be there to protect me!" Suddenly the boy pulled himself up, looking at the demon with a grin. "You´d protect me from anything, wouldn't you? Even at the cost of your own life?"

The demon stared at him unblinkingly, amusement suddenly changed to a strange uneasiness.

"You know that´s not a question…" He spoke slowly, frowning lightly. Ciel closed his eyes with a giggle and a nod.

"Then I´m done for!" He exclaimed cheerfully before letting himself fall again. Sebastian caught him this time, the disturbing sensation growing.

"What are you talking about?" He demanded. Ciel just kept smiling.

"Remember you´re not just one person anymore!" The boy giggled at the half joke. Before Sebastian could react, he continued. "My soul is inside you, remember? If you die, then I will too! You need to be your own priority now!"

Sebastian felt himself tense.

"I know that." He was taken by surprise by the strange awareness that lit up in Ciel´s eyes.

"Do you really?" A knowing smile spread over his face. "Would you really be able to let me die? Even, if the situation came to it, kill me?"

There was a deep and piercing silence that followed those words. Sebastian didn´t know what his expression looked like, but as Ciel stared at him the boy slowly lost his smile, looking almost panicked.

He sat up a bit and softly took hold of Sebastian´s face in his hands. The boy´s eyes seemed to be taking in every inch of it with unhappiness. Then he planted a kiss on the demon´s cheek.

"I´m sorry." He said, pulling back and searching for a specific response, which he didn´t seem to receive because he leaned back in and showered the demon´s face with little pecks. "I´m sorry." He said again. "I didn´t mean to make you sad. I´ve just been worrying about you, that´s all."

His words were so innocent that Sebastian couldn't help give him a small smile even though he felt greatly troubled. Ciel smiled back, looking drained. He let his face fall onto the demon´s shoulder.

"I´m tired." He muttered.

"Sleep, then." And he did.

Sebastian knew they would have to be heading back to the Phantomhive household soon, but he couldn´t help needing a moment to put his thoughts into order. As he felt Ciel´s light breath against his cheek, and circled the boy´s small body with his arms, he knew that the answers to Ciel´s last two questions was no.

And that was not ok.


	6. Chapter 6

**Some BONUS stuff from last chapter! Just wanted to write something small for my birthday, but even that took me a few days more than I wanted. Whatever! **

* * *

Sebastian gave a frustrated sigh as he looked down at the peaceful face of the boy in his arms.

_Really… How could I ever kill you when I can't even bring myself to awaken you?_

The demon decided to release his bitterness with one final sigh before allowing himself some amusement at Ciel's current state.

"As much as I would enjoy you giving everyone a piece of your mind, it would be best if you take your leave for the night." The demon carefully stood up, carrying the boy comfortably against his chest.

Sebastian made his way back to the house and waited until there was only one waiter in the way. He made himself visible and with the appearance of one of the hired workers.

The waiter spotted him and looked shocked as he noticed who he was holding.

"I found him asleep outside. I think it would be best to take him to bed." The demon spoke cordially. The man nodded with uncertainty, and Sebastian walked past him to the hall leading to Ciel's bedroom.

He set the boy down on his bed, quickly undressing him and changing his heavy formal wear for some comfortable pajamas. Knowing Ciel's body might disagree with the alcohol, he turned the boy onto his side and dragged the trash bin next to the bed as a precaution. The object in question brought unpleasant memories of the sickness Ciel had just gone through, which the demon forced away from his mind.

Sebastian focused on Ciel's breath, which was slightly noisier than usual. The demon bent down and tucked a few strands of the boy's hair behind his ear, allowing a better view of his face. Although the sight was quite endearing, the demon couldn't help smirk.

"I'm tempted to make up some embarrassing tale to test your memory tomorrow." He whispered conversationally. The boy reacted in no way: all but dead to the world. Sebastian's smile faltered at the thought.

* * *

Vincent Phantomhive had no choice but to ignore the absence of his son as the meeting went on. He had thought of asking a waiter to go search for him, but he didn't want to bring attention to the matter, and it hadn't quite been in the waiters' job description that they would be looking after befuddled teenagers.

So the meeting continued. Once it came to an end, he bid farewell to each of his guests, many who seemed disheartened at not have the chance to speak once more with the younger Phantomhive. As the last guest left, a waiter neared him.

"Excuse me, sir. Your son was found asleep outside and was taken to his room." Mr. Phantomhive nodded, feeling slightly relieved.

"I see. Which of you did this?" All the workers stood before him and said nothing, then looked around at each other as they realized no one had spoken. The man frowned. "I ask again: which one of you took my son to his room?" Silence greeted him, and suddenly the man felt slightly uneasy.

As the waiters returned to their last chores, Mr. Phantomhive hesitated before walking towards Ciel's bedroom. He opened the door, suddenly unsure of what he would find on the other side. His eyes quickly landed on his son, who was calmly sleeping.

At least the man was now sure his son was truly home, but why had no one taken credit for the action? He felt his blood run cold at the thought that maybe that person had done something they didn't want to take responsibility for.

Slowly, Mr. Phantomhive neared Ciel's bed. He gingerly held one corner of the blanket covering the boy and precariously lifted it.

Ciel was in pajamas.

For a moment Vincent panicked, but his logical mind forced him to reason that Ciel had probably awoken after being left on his bed and had changed by himself. The boy's closet, after all, was no small thing; everything would be moved around if a stranger had been searching for the boy's sleepwear.

With this reasoning, Mr. Phantomhive relaxed as he watched his sleeping son. The boy's breathing was slightly noisy and he wondered if it had always been like that.

He bent down to kiss Ciel's forehead, but the moment his lips made contact with the boy's skin he felt a violent shiver go through him.

He pulled back slowly, taking in every inch of his son's face. Vincent then forced himself to walk away and ignore the deep uneasiness that had invaded him.

* * *

**No, Vincent, you don't have the right to be kissing Ciel after everything you did and will do to him. **

**It's a good thing Ciel left, or he would have probably listened to the meeting for a bit more, started laughing at everyone's faces, and then yelled at them for being the "grime under humanities' foot". That would have not ended well. **

**So, I think you all deserve to know that I've been having some concerns relating to the future of this fic. The "bad" stuff is coming up soon and I've sort of been dreading it since it will pretty much change the story completely... It's hard to explain but I'm just unsure of how this is all going to end even though I already know what is going to happen... yeah it doesnt make sense to me either. There should still be a few chill chapters before shit goes down. **

**see you all soon!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Life has forced me to take long on this chapter. I miss having time to write :(**

* * *

It was a bright and beautiful morning on December 14 –bright meaning not incredibly cloudy, and beautiful being not practically freezing. That's winter in London for you.

Ciel awoke with the immediate reminder of the day that it was, and the task he had set for himself. He made a small disagreeing noise at the thought, pulling the bed sheets over his head.

The familiar presence of Sebastian at his side made the boy curl up tighter, evoking a light chuckle from his audience.

"Good morning." The demon spoke, the corner of his lip curving at the sight of a lump wriggling under the sheets.

"Is it, now…?" The boy muttered with sleepy wistfulness.

"Considering the date, I surely hope so. Although it is a habit of yours to go 'against the flow'."

Sebastian tugged lightly at the covers, which Ciel allowed to be pulled away from him. The boy's head was revealed; messy hair, sleepy eyes and all. Sebastian's amusement morphed into a softer expression.

"Hi…" The boy whispered, blue greeting red.

"Hello yourself…" It took Ciel a moment too long to look away. He closed his eyes and stretched tiredly. The demon watched him for a moment longer before speaking. "I was in the process of making you some tea." Ciel tensed lightly before finishing his stretch.

"What kind?"

"I was thinking English breakfast."

"I'm rather in the mood for Earl grey."

Sebastian's amusement returned, smirking as he crossed his arms.

"Oh really? What else are you _in the mood_ for?"

Ciel smirked himself, sitting straighter and crossing his legs.

"Well since you're _asking_, what brand is the Earl grey we have?"

"Zhena´s Gypsy."

"Oh, that just wont do!" The boy shook his head with slight exaggeration. "I've been wanting to try a different brand for some time now." Sebastian raised a teasing eyebrow.

"Really? You have not made mention of this before."

"Well I'm mentioning it now. Will you not fulfill my ONE _birthday_ **desire**_?"_ The words were so dramatic that Ciel almost felt like dropping the act and just breaking into laughter, but he forced himself to keep going. Sebastian seemed to expect Ciel to end their little game, but when the boy continued he decided to humor him.

"Alright then. Should we be off to the convenience store?"

"Oh, but it would be so much easier without me! You just take it from some unsuspecting soul's bag, right?"

"I thought you were against that." Ciel cursed under his breath but before he could make up for it, Sebastian gave him a break. "It would take time for someone to come around who buys the exact tea you want."

"Do you have something else to do today, Sebastian?" The demon's expression changed lightly and there was something strange about his gaze.

"No. Not at all." Then the teasing look was back, stronger than ever. "Well if it is your '_one birthday desire'_, I shall see it done." He bowed dramatically before Ciel, one hand over his chest. The boy blushed and rolled his eyes.

"Can you not? Now go and stop being annoying." The demon smiled easily before turning away from the bed and walking towards the door. "… and thank you." He heard a whisper, which turned the smile genuine before leaving the room.

As Sebastian's figure disappeared, Ciel threw himself back onto the bed tiredly. He covered his eyes with the back of his arm and laid there for a few seconds as he made time for the demon to leave the house. Once he was sure Sebastian was gone (he could lightly feel the distance as it grew, and yes he'd have to talk to him about that later) he sat up and forced the sheets off his body. He took his cellphone from the bed stand and searched for a certain contact. He stared at the name for a second before taking a deep breath and pressing call.

* * *

10 minutes had passed since Ciel had finished his phone call, and Sebastian had yet to return. The boy crossed his arms as he stared at the ceiling with a mixture of anxiety and annoyance.

_Does he usually take this long to go on chores? I wouldn't know, he usually goes while I'__m asleep…_

The doorbell rung and startled Ciel out of his thoughts. The sound was one mostly unheard of, since usually everyone who came to the Phantomhive household was being expected.

Knowing Mey Rin had not arrived yet, Ciel hesitantly sat up and slipped his slim feet into the bunny slippers Sebastian had left next to the bed (Ciel hardly allowed himself to use them, for he considered them too childish and indulging, but there were times when Sebastian would slip them on when Ciel was particularly tired, and the boy would pretend not to notice).

Ciel treaded down the hall, feeling it much more spacious than usual. He cautiously neared the door and opened it just enough to see the face of the person before him.

It was a young woman with short cotton candy pink hair and fashionable clothing. She placed a hand on her hips and blew a bubble with her gum, bitting into it with a loud 'pop'.

"Are you Ciel?" The boy blinked in surprise, having no idea what to make of this bizarre woman and her knowledge of him.

"Uh… yes?" He dared, wondering if perhaps he should have kept his identity to himself. The woman clapped her hands and stood straighter.

"Great! Let's get working, ladies!" Suddenly 2 other girls appeared out of either side of the door and pulled it open, snatching Ciel's wrists in a quick move and positioning themselves forcefully around him.

"W-what! L-let me go!" He yelled, completely disorientated, not entirely sure of whether he was under some sort of threat or not.

_I'm technically being kidnapped, right? _Unfazed by his struggling, the girls had gotten him all the way to the back door of a large van. _Yes, this is definitely kidnapping!_

"**Help**!" He yelled, feeling stupid for he was well aware his mother was too far to hear him and that Mey Rin would not be arriving for work any time soon.

He was pushed into the van, the 2 girls jumping in after him, while the pink haired woman slammed the doors shut. For a moment everything was dark, and all he could hear was his heavy breathing and the woman's light footsteps outside as she made her way to the front of the van and into the drivers seat.

Before Ciel could scream again, lights were turned on and he was shocked into silence.

The back of the van was a giant colorful wardrobe, with practically each piece of clothing brimming with lace and ribbon. The boy sat dumbfounded on the ground as the 2 girls began moving around and grabbing certain things. Suddenly they were on him again and Ciel felt like he was being eaten alive by tigers as they practically ripped off his clothes and roughly replaced them with their own heavily decorated ones.

"**H-hey!** _A-gh!_ G-AH!" It was a mad and colorful blur as layer upon layer with no seeming end was placed over his skin. He felt his fluffy footwear being slipped off in exchange for one much more uncomfortable. Hairbrushes tugged at his hair and he was almost chocked as a ribbon was tightened around his throat.

Then the van came to a forceful stop and Ciel landed hard on his butt once more. The 2 girls left his side and opened the doors wide. Light filled the space and before Ciel could even assimilate what had happened, he was being pushed out of the van and onto his feet, a thick cane forced into his hand.

"W-what?" He weakly said, near giving up on all the senselessness. That was when he looked up and was shocked once again by the sight greeting his eyes.

They were at the entrance of a Victorian styled café, with porcelain dolls and plates lining the walls, and vases upon vases of flowers littered everywhere.

One of the tables was covered with _cakes: _**EVERY** inch of it, with **ALL **flavors Ciel could imagine. Some were bite sized while others towered over the table, which was also covered with the fanciest teacups Ciel had ever seen, accompanied by numerous teapots with steam rising and curling above their snouts. It seemed a scene right out of Alice in Wonderland.

"W-what…" He stuttered once more, completely in awe at the entrancing sweets.

"Happy birthday!" The girls who had been terrorizing him a moment ago spoke cheerfully, motioning him to enter. His mouth opened wide in shock. Having no clue what else to do, the boy turned back towards the building and walked inside. As he did, he heard the van drive away and barely caught a small gimps of the pink haired woman waving at him before it was gone.

"What in the world is going on here…" Ciel muttered.

"I believe I can explain that for you." The voice had Ciel turning violently to it's source, seeing a familiar form dressed in a not so familiar way.

"Sebastian!" He yelled, slightly relieved at the knowledge that he was the one behind all of this. Then confusion returned tenfold. "Why are you dressed _like that_?!"

The demon was wearing the same outfit the waiters from Ciel's father's meeting had been using. Sebastian smirked at the boy's reaction.

"I am your _butler_. You should take a look at yourself, _my lord_."

Ciel blinked before looking down at himself and gasping. He was dressed in ridiculously fancy Victorian era clothing, all blue tones and black bows; proper for a high status gentleman once upon a time.

"_Gah_! What is this!"

"We're dressed for the occasion. I knew those clothes would suit you." Ciel blushed angrily, looking away from his outfit and instead focusing on Sebastian. He opened his mouth to speak but the demon was instantly at his side. "Now why don´t you come in and take a seat, my lord. All of this is for you and you only."

As he sat Ciel down, the boy's annoyance couldn't help but be overshadowed by the returning awe at the amount of sweets now surrounding him and being offered freely. He looked back at his "butler".

"I-I don't-"

"For tea, today´s specialty is your all favorites, but there are also a few new blends for you to try in the kitchen ready for whenever you desire them." Almost reading Ciel´s mind, Sebastian cut a piece of the cake that had attracted the boy´s attention the most and served him a cup of sweet smelling tea. Ciel felt overwhelmed as the cup was set before him and the demon gave a profound bow.

"Ok, ok, stop that! T-talk to me!" The boy said with slight panic. Sebastian chuckled, which somehow made Ciel relax a little.

"As you may have noticed, those waiters from last week's party sparked the idea. I had seen this place once before as I had heard cakes and other sweets were its specialty as well as having the interesting quirk of dressing up its visitors to fit the style. I was able to find the manager by himself and reserve the place for today."

Ciel stared at him for a moment before looking back at the ridiculous amount of cake around him and at his own ridiculous outfit. It was the first time the demon had given him a sort of "material" present… and as he thought of all the material presents he had received in the past, there was no comparing them to this. Those objects before hadn't truly been for him: they had been purchased in his name out of obligation, not as something thought out for _him_ and chosen _specifically_ for his own likes and characteristics. _This_ was truly for him. His lips gave a light tremble before setting into a smile.

"Thank you, Sebastian." He said genuinely. Looking pleased, the demon took Ciel's fork and cut a piece of the cake on his plate.

"Open wide, my lord." Ciel rolled his eyes before doing so and having the first bite of what he knew would be a very long and sweet day of eating. Before continuing, he motioned for Sebastian to put the fork down.

"I did something for you too." The demon nodded in acknowledgement, appearing calm but (Ciel could tell) was curious. The boy spoke as casually as possible. "I officially broke off my engagement to Elizabeth."

Sebastian did not know what he had been expecting but it had definitely not been that as blatant shock took over his features. Ciel gave him a moment by taking the fork into his own hand and continuing eating his slice of cake.

"She was upset, of course." He continued after a few seconds. "She apologized for being so distant as of late. That she couldn´t explain it to me, but promised she would try her best to be with me more and-" The boy forced himself to stop and let out a tired sigh. "But no." He stated, certainty clear in his voice. "It is over."

There was silence once more as Ciel ate his cake, and Sebastian watched him with the softest eyes he had ever showed.

"Thank you."

Ciel blushed lightly but kept eating as unaffectedly as possible. Maybe it was the cake, but he was suddenly feeling quite generous.

"Considering what I just mentioned, I think that, _only for today,_ I will allow you to indulge yourself in saying that I am 'yours'. " Ciel pointedly avoided looking at Sebastian as his face brightened dramatically, but was unable to not watch as he gave a deep bow.

"Yes, _my_ lord." He purred with a curl of the lips.

* * *

**Ok, guys! I have a question!**

**My writing time is really limited now a days and I know I haven't written almost anything of the other spin off "Imagine Innocence" and since you guys are the same people who read everything I want to ask you which fic should I focus on, eternity or innocence? It's your choice! I'll try to update whichever you choose sooner rather than later.**

**PS. Don't worry, Ciel's bunny slippers were safely mailed back to him a few days later. **


	8. Chapter 8

**So pretty much all of you voted Eternity! So what's honestly probably going to happen is I will keep focusing on this fic until we get to a cliffhanger AND THEN I will update Innocence! Muahaha...**

**Also, here are some responses to your comments!**

**Aanchai puri- Sebastian is in general very possessive of Ciel and always disliked the idea of "sharing" him with others, even his own parents. He wanted Ciel to marry so he would have a "normal" life before dying and spending the rest of eternity with him but it was always something he begrudgingly went along with. Then Ciel realized he didn't want to live lying to Elizabeth since, think about it, they'd never even be alone together and the whole "till death do us part" would be way too literal and it was just a lot of things that Ciel didn't want to deal with and that he didn't want to put Elizabeth through, so in the end they were both happy with that decision. **

**Sheldon the Whale- You caught me! I'm just asking for permission on which fic to neglect haha. The story is that I was thinking about working on Innocence but that is quite a different focus and it would mean leaving Eternity on hold for a bit which I was fine with but I didn't know if you guys would be so that's why I asked. And you all seem to want more Eternity so that's what I'll do!**

**Paxloria- Part of the deal was that the restaurant was empty! It had been reserved for them that day.**

**K guys! Here we go!**

* * *

The plan was simple, in theory:

Ciel would get to live a normal human life; study, work, get married (although they had unanimously decided to scratch that one out) and after many years, by human standards, die and spend eternity with Sebastian.

Simple.

Ciel didn't know how they managed to mess it up.

* * *

Telling his mother the excuse that a walk would be the best way to showcase the incredibly large and stuffy coat she got him for his birthday ("She's still going on about my illness, isn't she?! When will you all let me live it down!" Sebastian neared him and zipped the mentioned coat all the way up. "Never."), Ciel and Sebastian moved to the front door to leave.

"Be careful out there, sweetie! Remember that those good for nothing boys haven't been caught yet!" Ciel rolled his eyes at her words.

Yes, new years was coming up fast and for some reason the government thought it would be a good idea to ban fireworks. Of course, that had the opposite effect: The city could be confused for a war zone with all the random explosions heard from time to time. The culprits were a group of children with a newfound taste for revelry. There was already lots of damage of property (and quite a few frights) to their name.

"Can you hear where they are, Sebastian?" Ciel asked once out of the house, half curious yet half certain that his demon was capable of that.

"Of course. They are quite a few streets away so they present no threat. Would you like to report them?"

"Eh, not particularly." Ciel watched as Sebastian tilted his head to the side with a look of distaste.

"They are making quite the racket."

"They are children, they do little else." Sebastian gave him an odd look. "What?"

"You are a child."

"I am not!"

The demon chuckled before pressing closer to the pouting boy. Ciel thought of pulling away out of spite but couldn't find the will. Instead he let his head rest against the demon's side as Sebastian set an arm around him.

"It's funny..." Ciel muttered.

"What is?"

"It's hard to remember a time when we couldn't touch."

Although he knew that Sebastian could remember every moment of his existence with perfect clarity, the demon looked almost wistful at the comment.

"It is."

Ciel watched him thoughtfully, wondering what he was thinking. He caught the demon's eye and smiled.

"I remember not being sure if you were real. The thought of it frightened me so because, well, you simply _were_ real to me. You had been there all my life and I knew that whether you truly existed in this world or only in my mind it did not make you any less real. It was me who I doubted really, not you." Ciel felt the familiar and comforting sensation of getting lost in those deep red eyes. Sebastian stopped walking and cupped Ciel's cheek.

"I've caused you a lot of problems." There was no regret in his voice, and neither was there in Ciel's.

"How dull it would have been otherwise."

The demon smirked and let go of the boy. They continued their walk; Ciel noticing the trees had begun to lose their leaves to the cold weather.

"Have you ever wanted to die?" He asked suddenly. Sebastian turned to look at him with what seemed like genuine surprise and confusion. The boy blushed. "It was just a thought! You have more experience with immortality than me." The demon looked amused now. He thought about it for a moment, Ciel feeling strangely interested in the answer.

"I suppose not. Creatures like myself don't usually have many 'desires'. We exist, we endure, we continue to exist. We have nothing else to do but to keep existing, unfazed by both life and death. Some demons are content, or as content as they can be, with this. Others search for some form of entertainment from humans, toying with them before taking their souls. A usual practice is to drive them to insanity."

"And which one are you?" The boy asked teasingly. Sebastian pretended to look thoughtful once more.

"I'll admit I was of the first group, until I found something worth my interest."

"Excuse you." Ciel said not appreciating being called a thing. Sebastian chuckled. "So what about now?"

Sebastian's expression sobered suddenly, which took Ciel by surprise. The demon frowned for a second before turning away.

"Your soul is in my body, I would not allow any harm to come to it."

The boy tilted his head with a frown, feeling strange about Sebastian's demeanor.

"What's on your mind?" Ciel noticed the demon barely held back a hiss.

"Nothing is on my mind."

He knew Sebastian would have his reasons for holding back, but the boy couldn't help feel slightly hurt. He thought they didn't keep things from each other.

"If you are troubled by something, you should let me know."

"There is nothing."

"Seba-"

An explosion thundered violently— distant but terribly clear and palpable. It could be felt in the chests of almost everyone in the city, strong enough to make the weak of constitution have their hearts falter for barely a breath.

Ciel included.

As the sound still resonated through the air, the boy's body was caught in Sebastian's arms as it crumpled to the ground.

The demon did not even call out, feeling immediately the lack of pulse and the cold stare of blank blue eyes.

* * *

Time was nonexistent.

For a moment, Ciel did not know what was happening. In the next, he knew it all.

All.

He felt Sebastian not at his side but _with_ him, _as_ him. It was impossible to tell where one being ended and the other began.

And he could see it. Everything.

He saw all those years that Sebastian had lived simply existing, going from soul to soul with no sense or desire.

He knew what the demon had felt when he had first laid eyes on him and he could finally appreciate what Sebastian had seen in his soul.

In less than a second he saw every year, every moment, of their time together. Every thought and every conflict that had ever crossed Sebastian's consciousness, and Sebastian saw every thought that had ever crossed his. In that moment they were truly one.

_Ciel…_ He felt Sebastian's consciousness tenderly wrap itself even more around him.

Ciel's understanding of his existence was thanks to Sebastian's own thoughts. He remembered the blast that had forcefully stopped his heart.

Yes, he was no longer living, but felt more alive than ever.

_Sebastian…_ He reached out to him and saw as well what the demon could see in the "real" world.

He saw his own body lying on the ground, and Sebastian relentlessly giving him CPR, trying to keep his body alive.

_Why…? I like being like this… with you… _The demon did not stop, but Ciel could feel every muscle as it tensed at those words.

_Me too…_ He answered, and Ciel felt a wave of comforting warmth. _But you must live. You have too much ahead of you._

_I don't care for it… I don't want it…_

_Ciel_. Their essence twisted and turned in a gentle dance.

_Sebastian… I can see it all now… everything you ever did for me even when I was only supposed to be your meal. Everything you've been through. _

There was a moment of simple silent bliss as the two entities basked in each other's existence, in the fact that these two entities were not even two at all.

_Thank you…_ Ciel sent with every pulse of his soul, and he could feel the way it affected the demon's physical body.

_Ciel…_ _you need to go back…_ Those pulses were determined but a tinge of unhappiness was distinct.

_I know._ The boy admitted, corresponding Sebastian's feelings. _ I'll miss being like this with you._

_I know._

_And…_ Sebastian frowned at the sudden uneasiness he felt, which he knew came from Ciel. _I'm scared…_

_Scared?_

_Of… being alone…_ The demon immediately understood. After being a single entity, no other closeness would ever compare.

_You are never alone. Your soul is still in me, and one day we'll be like this again. _

_Ok._ Ciel was about to will himself to reach towards his body, when Sebastian stopped him.

_Wait… Ciel… just remember that I've had to do CPR for some time now. It'll hurt._

_I understand…_ He braced himself. _Goodbye, Sebastian._

The demon gave him one last embrace.

_Goodbye, Ciel_.

* * *

The boy gasped for breath and immediately chocked as the pain in his chest forced him to stop. It burned and physically made him incapable of breathing, causing him to take fast small desperate intakes of air.

Everything was painful. It was such a drastic difference from the harmony and comfort he had just come from. He felt empty and distressed and agonizing.

"_Be calm, be calm."_ Sebastian's voice softly whispered against his ear. He felt the demon's arms hold him against his body, and some of that past comfort was regained. "I know it hurts but it will hurt less if you take calmer breaths. Now make them deep, you can do it."

Painfully slowly, Ciel was able to fight the pain and get in a long deep breath, fighting also the instinct to just try to desperately pull in all the air he could, which would probably cause him to hyperventilate and just die again.

_That doesn't sound so bad right about now._

But he focused on Sebastian's voice and followed his commands. He whimpered at the pain and curled against the demon's body. Sebastian opened his mouth to warn him but it was too late and Ciel gasped in agony.

"Try not to move too much…" The demon said with a slightly pained tone. Ciel opened his eyes but everything was blurry and unclear. "Forgive me, it was necessary to provide CPR and keep blood flowing through your body. It is common for ribs to crack during these procedures. It would be best not to take you to the hospital since we don't want to attract attention, and ribs heal on their own in around 4 weeks so there would be nothing to do but to give you painkillers. I could go get some for you if you-" Immediately Ciel whined and held tightly onto Sebastian. "Yes, I thought you would be against that."

_Never leave me… _Ciel wanted to say. He felt so distant from Sebastian after their experience, too heart wrenchingly apart, that the idea of the demon actually walking off seemed unbearable. He felt tears prick at his eyes with the panic of the mere thought. Suddenly he felt Sebastian's cool hand against his cheek.

"Calm down." He spoke in such a gentle tone that Ciel knew he was dying. He leaned against the touch and focused on the way Sebastian's thumb moved comfortingly over his skin. For a moment he could forget his suffering. "It'll take some time for your body to recover from the shock, but after that you´ll still need to work through the pain." Ciel felt dazed and tired, and thought the heaviness of his eyes was terribly inviting.

He was surprised by a soft peck to his cheek. His eyes, which had been slowly slipping closed, opened once again.

"Stay awake." Sebastian whispered. Ciel noticed how the demon's hold on him had tightened. He blinked tiredly, and Sebastian bent back down and kissed his forehead, then his nose, then his other cheek. Ciel felt himself slightly more conscious now and he looked up at the demon.

_I miss you. _He wanted to say, but his lungs at the moment were too busy trying to breath steadily.

"You need to fight it, Ciel." Sebastian said, frowning with concern. For some reason Ciel wanted to sit up and kiss those wrinkles right off his skin. "The explosion was not actually strong enough to kill anyone, only make a few more delicate people's hearts falter, but they all lived on. It was your disconnection to your soul that caused your body to react in such a way." Was Sebastian saying something? For some reason it all seemed to lull in his ears, his body slowly growing limp. "You have willed your essence to sustain your body once again, but it is faltering." Almost on cue, Ciel's eyes began to close again. Sebastian lifted the boy lightly, Ciel's head lulling to the side as his eyes fought to remain open.

"_Ciel! _You need to fight it_._"

_Why? What would be so bad about going back… _Sebastian cursed, and his next actions caught Ciel by surprise enough to keep him at the edge of consciousness. The demon laid down with Ciel's body in his arms.

"I know eternity sounds tempting." He murmured in the boy's ear. "But there are things that I'll miss once we're there."

He buried his face against Ciel's hair and playfully wrapped a strand around his finger. Then his hand slid softly over the boy's cheek and traced his face with the tips of his fingers.

Ciel's senses were slipping in and out of focus but those touches seem to overcome that and reach him. The demon pulled him closer and continued what he had left off with the kisses. Ciel could feel a sort of warmth radiate from each peck and fill him with yearning.

_Yes… I´d miss this too…_

He felt Sebastian plant a kiss on each eyelid.

"_Wake up…" _

Ciel's eyelashes fluttered and he fought the darkness, focusing on the red eyes above him.

"Good." Sebastian said with a hint of relief. Ciel felt slightly guilty all of a sudden for being so weak, but he was still too tired to force himself to his right mind. Shakily he tried to extend his arms, wincing at the pressure on his chest. Still, he put his arms around the demon's neck and they were close enough for their foreheads to touch. "We should go now." He murmured.

Ciel gave a tired hum in response, sense beginning to return to him. He wanted to ask Sebastian to carry him, he wanted to hide in the demon's arms from the rest of the world and never come out, but he knew he had to go back home and face his mother and pretend nothing had happened.

"He-" His voice cracked and he started to cough, crying out at the pain that cause him. Sebastian opened his mouth to tell him to stop, but Ciel moved his hand to his shoulder and squeezed it. "He-elp me up."

The demon gave a small smile, glad to see the stubborn and strong side of Ciel back. He carefully supported the boy's back as he sat up with a wince and a curse.

"Continue taking deep breaths."

Ciel nodded, forcing himself to ignore his body's instincts. Once managed, Sebastian held both of his hands and helped holding him up as he stood. Ciel teetered on the spot for a second, Sebastian releasing one hand and placing it on his shoulder.

"_Are you stable?" _Sebastian signed with one hand. Ciel thankfully signed back.

"_Yeah but you should still remain close and let me know if my stance seems too abnormal."_

"_I'm always close." _The demon signed, both teasingly and with a more serious meaning. For a moment Ciel yearned for eternity once more, but he understood what Sebastian meant.

"I know. " He spoke aloud, pained at the action but feeling like those words were too important to leave unvoiced.

* * *

**So now we know what'll happen when Ciel dies! Let us hope its not any time soon!**


	9. Chapter 9

**HELLO PEEPS, ITS BEEN A WHILE!**

**Med school is sucking me DRY, I'm barely alive HAHAHA- much maniac laughter.**

**Kakkorat is Cake- There should be at least 4 more chapters to begin and finish the drama arc! What happens after that is still undecided!**

**SO YEAH, LAST PURELY FLUFFY CHAPTER HERE WE GO!**

* * *

Ciel was really more than happy to just lay in bed surrounded by fluffy blankets all day. It was nice to do nothing once in a while, specially while being on vacations.

Therefore he didn't understand why Sebastian was acting like he was putting Ciel through some major torture.

The demon had been strict about having Ciel taking it easy for a while for the sake of his ribs. They had spent the last week staying at home, mostly just lounging in Ciel's bedroom or the living room, talking, watching television, or simply doing nothing. The boy had not resisted for once, and was surprisingly enjoying this careless time.

The only thing ruining the moment was that damn demon himself, who sometimes acted like he was keeping Ciel prisoner. He'd sometimes look frustrated or almost guilty, moments that would be followed by Ciel's annoyance and promptly forcing Sebastian to bring a board game for them to play.

So really, Ciel was in no hurry to change this calming routine of theirs... but maybe he could take advantage of that.

Ciel peeked from over the blankets covering his body, lazily trying to move as little as possible. His eyes landing on something in particular.

"Sebastian..."

"Yes?"

"Your nails. They're... always painted black, right? They've been that way ever since I can remember."

This actually caught the demon by surprise for a moment, his lip soon curling lightly as he looked down at his fingers.

"Yes, I suppose that is true."

"Was that an aesthetic choice on your part?" Ciel asked with a strange sort of interest. He couldn't imagine Sebastian really caring about what he looked like.

"Not particularly. When I produced the form I would carry in this world, my only intention was to make it humanoid. This was simply the result of my essence manifesting as such."

Ciel fought a laugh, burying himself further into his sea of sheets.

"You mean it's kind of your personality then?" He teased. Only his eyes were visible, holding Sebastian's deep gaze comfortably. The other tilted his head in thought for a moment.

"You could see it that way if you wanted to." He extended his hand at the same time Ciel wiggled his own out from under the covers. The boy pressed Sebastian's extended fingers one at a time absentmindedly. He looked at those fingernails and their familiar color, a sudden thought popping into his mind. He had to stop himself from grinning.

"You've probably had them like that for a _long_ time by now, huh." He mused innocently. Sebastian raised an eyebrow, watching as Ciel finally peeled himself from his human burrito form and sat up. "Maybe it's time for a _change_."

The demon looked down at Ciel, suddenly feeling like the boy was 5 years old again. The innocence of that smile was so blatantly fake that the demon would have laughed if he wasn't so against the human's intentions.

"_Change_?"

"Well, yes. I think it sounds like fun, don't you?" Ciel saw the clear disagreement in those red eyes. The boy simply lifted his chin and gave the demon a confident look. "If you're going to force me to stay indoors then we need to find ways to stay entertained, right?"

Ciel knew he'd immediately won the battle with that. The demon's distaste was immediately gone, a flash of guilt being quickly replaced by reluctance.

And that was how he found himself following Ciel as the boy sneaked into his mother's bedroom. Taking his shoes off, he tip toed around trying to make little noise to not catch Mey Rin's attention.

"You do realize I could just carry you."

"This is half the fun! We're ninjas!" He whispered childishly, a grin on his face. Sebastian thought Ciel was enjoying this way too much, but that wasn't really a bad thing. They went around the bed, checking her drawers and her vanity table. "I don't actually know if my mom has nail polish. Do you remember seeing her with any?"

"I don't think it's in my best interest to answer that."

Soon enough Ciel opened a drawer with 3 small and colorful nail polish bottles.

"Ooh, she has red!" He silently cheered, taking the 3 bottled in his hand before turning to Sebastian, victorious. "Let's head back!"

Sebastian sighed.

* * *

"I wonder if we can get this off with something other than nail polish." Ciel mussed as a red drop landed on Sebastian's skin. The demon watched Ciel's handiwork with defeated humor.

"Your skills need polishing." He murmured with slight dismay.

"You can pretend it's the blood of your enemies or something."

As Ciel continued his work, it was hard to deny that he was enjoying himself greatly. The sight of the demon's nails slowly changing from the dark color to something hilariously bright was almost more than his frail heart could handle. The demon watched him with something akin to interest, finally morphing into fondness.

"Did you really need all 3 bottles? One is even black."

"Go big or go home." Ciel said with a serious tone and a determined nod. Sebastian shook his head.

"Done!" The boy declared proudly a minute later. Sebastian stood up from Ciel's bed and placed his hands at his sides like usual. There was silence for a moment before Ciel broke out laughing.

"I'm glad you find enjoyment in this." Sebastian said monotonely, watching the boy lay on his back hugging his stomach tightly.

"Oh man, they just stick out so much." Ciel's voice was more high pitched than usual, finally sitting up again and whipping at the wetness that had formed in his eyes. His lip still trembled lightly, his eyes lingering over the demon's hands.

Sebastian's eyes narrowed, a smirk forming on his lips before forcing his features back to normal. He took a seat before Ciel once again and calmly reached for the black nail polish.

"Aw, you're painting over it already! That's no fun!" Ciel whined playfully. The demon simply reached out for his hand. "W-what are you doing?"

"It's only fair for you to have your turn as well." Sebastian said simply as he undid the bottle's cap. Ciel stared at him, too surprise to even disagree. The demon easily balanced the bottle on his lap as he took one of Ciel's hands in his own and began to paint.

"...Why black?" Ciel finally spoke, seeming to have no intention of stopping the demon's work. Sebastian chuckled.

"Would you rather I use the pink one?" He asked, referring to the remaining bottle's color.

"N-no!" Ciel scowled quickly, looking away. "... This way they're like how yours usually are." He murmured to himself.

"What was that?" The demon teased.

"S-shut up!"

Not surprisingly, Sebastian was very good at the job, not staining Ciel one bit.

"Why are you just magically good at everything." Ciel complained halfheartedly.

"Maybe our species is simply superior."

"Rude." The boy murmured, but he couldn't help agree. Suddenly he felt Sebastian's hold on his hand tighten.

"No..." He said thoughtfully. "There's definitely something about humans that is entirely incomparable."

Ciel looked at him with surprise, but Sebastian remained focused on his task.

* * *

"I think I like them." Ciel said as he held his hands above his face as both him and Sebastian lay back on his bed.

"I hope you don't expect me to keep them." Sebastian murmured, referring to his own.

"Hehe, just for a few days."

They remained there in silence, relaxing at each others side. It was after a few minutes, when Ciel's eyes had closed and he was beginning to dose off, that he suddenly sat up as if he had been electrified.

"I just thought of something!"

"Something _else_?" The demon didn't think he was up to any more new 'ideas' his boy could have today. Ciel prodded around the bed in search for his phone. Determinedly he set it to the camera setting.

"I just had a thought..." He began, moving closer to Sebastian as the demon sat up. "Do you think you'd show up in a picture?" Blue eyes shined with curiosity. Sebastian tilted his head.

"I have never considered it."

"We need to try!"

Ciel happily set himself against the demon, turning his phone's camera to face them. Sebastian stared at the camera blankly for a moment before a smirk set on his face and he quickly gave Ciel a peck on the cheek. The startled boy's finger twitched, taking a picture of the moment.

_"Hey!" _Ciel scowled, blushing with annoyance. Sebastian chuckled, regretting nothing. Ciel pouted before turning back to the camera. "For real this time."

They took another picture, this time both of them making a peace sign with their fingers facing the camera and commemorating their colored nails.

* * *

Ciel waited for his breakfast at the kitchen table the next morning, swiping through his pictures mindlessly. He had allowed Sebastian to go get Ciel's favorite tea which they noticed had run out. Sighing, the boy found himself wishing he could go out for the first time in weeks.

**_"Y-young master! Who is that y-young man with you!" _**

Ciel jolted in his seat at the sudden scream from Mey Rin, standing behind him and staring at his phone with horror. Ciel realized he had been lingering over the photos he had taken with Sebastian.

"Y-you you can **_see_** it?" Ciel stuttered with shock before shaking himself out of it and hiding his phone against his chest, blushing lightly. "He's no one! I don't know what you're talking about!" He mentally face palmed.

**"Y-young master! T-that was your _bedroom_! I've been c-cleaning it for years! Id r-recognize it anywhere!" **His maid exclaimed with horror. Ciel shook his head with horror of his own.

"I-it's not what you think! M-mey Rin!" Ciel moved his hands to gesture her to calm down but only managed to show his phone's screen once again. He caught sight of the picture, noticing how close they were and-oh yeah- the fact that Sebastian was kissing his cheek.

_**"Young master!"**_ She was almost crying now. Ciel moved his hands with panic.

"O-ok, I know it looks bad but please just forget about it!-"


	10. Chapter 10

**IT BEGINS**

* * *

_The boy's legs trembled as they lost their fight to stay upright, landing at the shadow's feet. His arms shook under the weight of his body as he leaned against them, weak and staring at the ground._

_Slow steps were taken towards him._

_Feet appeared in his line of sight. The boy gasped, deeply and desperately. He moved a trembling hand onto them, pulling close in search of some form of comfort. He tried to speak but only a shaky breath escaped his lips. The creature knelt over him._

_The boy looked up, trapped in cold and darkness but refusing to let go, his body still clinging to the shadow._

_Cold hands caressed his cheek and held his face. They were dripping with blood._

_The boy's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to scream before a wave of terror and darkness took over him._

* * *

A bloodcurdling scream bubbled from deep inside Ciel's chest and choked its way out his throat. His body violently lurched forward in search of some form of escape from the terror that clouded his mind. He was still screaming and struggling as Sebastian dashed to his side and held him close.

"Ciel, it's ok, _Ciel_." He whispered in a calming tone. The boy's struggling weakened as he opened his eyes, his shrieks turning to sobs. His entire body trembled.

He hid his face against the crook of the demon's neck and held tightly onto the fabric of his shirt.

"_**It's all my fault."**_ He cried disconsolately. Sebastian hushed him softly, brushing his fingers comfortingly through the boy's hair.

"None of it was your fault." His voice was gentle and certain.

"He wanted _**me!**_"

"And Alois knew that." Ciel gasped for breath and curled up even tighter. "He knew the danger, but he still wouldn't leave him. It was his choice."

"Sebastian…"Ciel sobbed, complete distress still choking his heart. Sebastian wrapped his arms around him even more, as if he was trying to hide Ciel from the rest of the world.

And how he would like to do just that if Ciel would allow it. He would keep the boy away from anything and everything that could ever cause him pain, away from all the lesser humans who did not deserve to even gaze upon him. Ciel, whose soul was a precious jewel among piles of dust.

Carefully the demon sat down on the bed and allowed the boy to crawl onto his lap. He held Ciel tightly as he cried, rubbing slow circles on his back.

"All those times you had nightmares as a kid…" The demon whispered in Ciel's ear. "I could never reach out to you… no matter how badly I wanted to…" The boy's grip on his shirt tightened, and Sebastian buried his face against those blue locks.

"_Sebastian…" _Ciel sobbed, clinging to him desperately, hungry for his comfort. _"Sebastian…"_

A few meters away, at the other side of Ciel's door, Rachel Phantomhive stood with her hand frozen in a knocking position. Her eyes were wide with horror as she listened to her son undeniably cry out the name she had been fearing for years.


	11. Chapter 11

**Guuuys we're sooo close! So close to ending!**

**Well I'm not sure XD But at least we're reaching the point of no return!**

* * *

Ciel awoke feeling much better than expected, considering the events that had taken place the previous night.

He sat up and stretched comfortably, a light smile barely gracing his lips. It almost seemed like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, like that pitiful demonstration from last night had allowed him to release any and all tensions or darkness inside him.

"All these years of mother seeking different therapies to deal with you, when it seems YOU were the real therapy all along." Ciel teased at the shadow by his side. Sebastian set Ciel's clothing for the day on the bed's corner, nearing him with hairbrush in hand.

"I seem to be the cause and solution to all of your maladies." The demon spoke easily, yet was visibly relieved by Ciel's morning recovery. Careful finger threaded softly through Ciel's slightly messy blue locks, along with the soothing movements of the hairbrush.

"Hm. I still wouldn't call it a fair trade." The boy murmured sleepily. A silent moment followed, both content simply with each other's presence, before Ciel slowly opened his eyes. "We should go out..."

Sebastian remained silent, before releasing a humored sigh.

"It might be for the best. I don't think Mey rin could take any more of your _ideas."_

Ciel huffed, a blush sneaking on his cheeks at the memory. The day he had put nail polish on the demon's nails and Mey Rin had been able to see Sebastian on Ciel's phone, the boy panicked and immediately took the paint off Sebastian's nails the moment he returned from the supermarket. The demon had found the situation incredibly amusing and had teased Ciel about the integrity of his choices ever since.

"I was just being careful! What if she could see the paint! There would be red blotches floating in the air!"

"I don't think that's how it works." The demon chuckled with a teasingly condescending look. "It would be better to not trouble your delicate mind with these complicated concepts."

"Damn demon."

As Sebastian began to dress Ciel, the boy continued to glare halfheartedly at the other.

"We should go rock-climbing then." He said moodily, despising the expression on the demon's face which was that of someone indulging a small child.

"No."

"Skydiving."

"No."

"Extreme biking."

"Tempting to see your absolute lack of coordination in action, but no."

Ciel crossed his arms in a particularly childish motion, clearly not actually upset. In fact it was completely the opposite- that lighthearted feeling he'd awoken with only spreading with each teasing tone, each pout, each touch.

_I find you so infuriating, in a way I can't live without. How masochistic._

They made their way to the kitchen, taking their time to enjoy this slow, comfortable morning. Sebastian was almost distracted from the rather rare happening taking place a few meters ahead of them.

"Your mother is cooking."

Ciel blinked in genuine surprise, completely thrown off guard, their previous conversation forgotten.

"Really? That's definitely odd! Not that I'm complaining..." The boy couldn't help a small grimace. "...Probably."

As he took the remaining steps to the kitchen, Ciel couldn't help feel both slight yearning and apprehension. He had barely crossed the threshold into the room when he heard his mother's voice calling to him.

"Ciel! Dear! Good morning to you!" A startling cheerfulness greeted him, his mother quickly nearing him and guiding him to the table. "Wont you take a seat! I'm making something very delicious just for you!"

"G-good morning, mom." Ciel stuttered, looking over his shoulder at Sebastian in surprise. The demon followed them, clearly unpleased. "You cooked?"

"Yes, I know I don't do it often enough but I will do it more! You'll see, you'll see." Her smile could almost be labeled as wild, and Ciel felt both humored and unnerved by it.

"You don't have to worry about that..." He attempted. Rachel squeezed his shoulder tightly in disagreement.

"Of course I do! Now just sit tight and I'll bring you what you need."

Ciel's eyes followed his mother's figure as she moved away, releasing a breath he'd been holding, Sebastian's comforting shadow falling over him.

"She says that now after years of not doing so." The demon murmured bitterly.

_"Relax."_ Ciel signed. His mother quickly returned, setting a plate down and a cup of tea, Sebastian glaring at it.

"Here you go, sweetie! Be sure to finish it!"

"Of course, mother." He couldn't find it in himself to say thank you, but as he looked down at the food on the table he admitted that it still made him feel somewhat happy.

Rachel turned her back to him as he ate. Ciel took advantage of this for signing with Sebastian.

_"Have you thought of where we should go then? You've rejected all of **my** ideas."_

_"I have actually." _Sebastian smiled for the first time since entering the kitchen.

_"Really? Where?"_

_"Wait and see." _The demon teased.

Ciel scowled, then quickly made sure his mother hadn't seen. The last thing he wanted was for her to think he did not appreciate her cooking.

* * *

Ciel took a deep, content breath as they walked through the tree shaded path. It was nice to be out and about again, the lighthearted and warm atmosphere from the morning still present.

"Is it much farther?" Ciel asked carelessly, doing it only to bother the other. In that moment he felt like he wouldn't mind walking for hours on end.

"Only a bit further." The demon spoke, voice soft and seeming to join with the light breeze that surround Ciel. The boy closed his eyes with a hum and felt himself move to the side, pressing against the demon's form.

As they continued their walk, Ciel began to recognize the path. He became certain when the entrance to a small tea shop became visible. His eyes widened, a spark lit in them.

"Sebastian!..." The boy turned to him with a childish smile that made the other chuckle.

"Yes, it's that cake store you embarrassed yourself at some time back."

Ciel ignored that comment, simply too joyous at the thought of sweets waiting behind the door.

"It seems like a lifetime ago." He murmured almost dreamily.

Ciel's chest swelled as they entered the store, the smell of baked good immediately greeting him. Despite what he had said about never returning because of the incident that occurred on their first visit, he was incredibly happy that Sebastian had taken him there. He hadn't even thought the demon would bother remembering the path.

"You're such a child." Sebastian chided. "I make cakes for you constantly."

"You can never have enough cake!" The boy stated, not caring if anyone around him thought it was strange. He quickly made his way to the counter, looking over every exhibited slice with wonder. Unknown to him, he looked just like he had when they had come around a year ago.

"So?" Sebastian teased as he looked down at the beaming boy. "Which slices will you get?"

After ordering, Ciel made his way to the table triumphantly with not one, not two, but three slices of cake. Sebastian gave a humored sigh as he followed behind. Ciel took a seat, grinning as the demon took the one before him without even moving the chair. So far, they hadn't brought too much attention to themselves and Ciel was buzzing with excitement for his desserts.

"Well, here I go!" He cheered, cutting a small peice from the first slice.

"Don't eat them too fast." The demon reprimed with little hope. He allowed himself to smile at the boy's blissful expression. Ciel opened his eyes with a grin, and Sebastian gaze followed the boy's arm as it moved towards the next piece- only to stop a few centimeters away. His smile fell immediately as he looked back at Ciel's face, whose grin had suddenly gone missing too. "...Ciel?"

The boy blinked before pulling his arm away from the plates before him.

"I'm feeling a little nauseous..." He spoke carefully, putting his fork down. Sebastian's eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth to inquire further, but Ciel quickly shook his head and smiled again, less strongly than before. "It's better to eat only one of the slices anyway! That way I'll have cake for tomorrow." He reached for the slice he had begun to eat and took the fork back into his hand.

_Ciel... _Sebastian thought with a frown.

Ciel did not mention anything again, but Sebastian felt him less enthusiastic than before. Ciel asked for the remaining slices to be packed, and they soon found themselves walking back home.

Sebastian still carried a serious expression on his face. Red eyes looked down as he felt something soft poke his cheek.

"Stop being so grouchy, grouchy demon." Ciel pouted, getting off his tip toes and crossing his arms. Sebastian's eyes softened and he pressed closer to the human at his side.

"You're right. I'm just a _grouchy_ demon, as you so kindly put it. I can't help it."

The wind blew comfortably, leaves crunched beneath Ciel's feet. The boy turned to look at those red orbs that were already observing him.

"Sebastian."

"Hm?"

Their eyes rested on each other's comfortably, eagerly, like they wished to remain that way for eternity.

"Thank you." He said genuinely. Sebastian chuckled.

"You didn't even finish your cake."

"I know, but I'm glad we went."

The moment they entered the house, Ciel's mother had already set her hands on his shoulders, Sebastian moving out of the way with a light growl.

"Welcome home sweetie! How was your walk? I have lunch ready for you right over here!" Without letting him answer, Rachel forcefully guided him to the kitchen table before quickly leaving to bring back a plate of food and a cup of tea. "I'm sure you're hungry after being out all day! Go ahead!" Ciel blinked before giving a small laugh.

"I will. Thank you, mom." He looked down at the food and decided it would probably be best to ignore his nausea and force down some actual food.

_Besides, I have to take advantage of my mother cooking. Who knows how long that will last._

Ciel ate slowly, taking long sips of tea in between. He felt his mother's eyes constantly on him, but tried to ignore them in exchange for Sebastian's own. It was too dangerous to sign, but the demon's company and his mother's movement in the kitchen was good enough. As he finished his food, he felt a heavy drowsiness take over him.

"I'm done, mom. I think I'll head to bed now." He said with a yawn, muscles feeling lightly stiff.

"O-of course, Ciel. Go rest. I'll have breakfast ready for you when you wake up!" The boy blinked groodily at those words, wondering if they were true, if her actions would be something that would endure. A part of him wanted that, but another looked at Sebastian's unhappy expression and thought that maybe it would be best to keep the routine they had already made.

"Goodnight." He yawned again. Moving slowly towards his room. The moment they were out of sight he felt himself being carefully swept off his feet and carried towards their destination. Ciel barely kept back a groan as the motion brought his nausea back, but the feeling of his head against Sebastian's chest made the unpleasantness ignorable. He really was tired.

"You're falling asleep already..." The demon murmured. Ciel hummed softly in response. "Alright. Sleep. I'll take care of everything." Ciel hummed again, burying his face deeper against the demon. As he thought of saying goodnight, the darkness finally took over.

* * *

"Ciel. Ciel, sweetie. Wake up."

Blue eyes pressed together, struggling to open. Slowly his vision cleared enough to recongize the figure of his mother at his side.

"...Mom?" He murmured. Rachel had a concerned look on her face.

"You didn't show up for breakfast. I thought I'd at least bring you a cup of tea." Ciel's eyes found themselves closing again, a light groan escaping his lips. He tried sitting up, but felt drained. "L-let me help you!"

He felt thin fingers grip his shoulders, carefully pushing him into a sitting position. A different set of hands contributed as well, Ciel letting his gaze move towards Sebastian's figure.

The boy finally felt more awake, but it was still much harder to reach for the cup his mother offered him than it should've been. He took careful sips before releasing a long breath.

"Can I... go back to sleep?" He murmured after setting the empty cup down. He felt sebastian's concerned gaze.

"Of course, sweetie. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything." For some reason Ciel couldn't catch his mother's eye. She quickly left the room, and before he could say something to Sebastian he felt his body slide back down and eyes close.

* * *

Ciel awoke by himself the next time, but he didn't feel any more energized.

"Sebastian..." He called out weakly. The demon was imidately holding him, sitting him up and pressing Ciel's small body against his own.

"How do you feel?" He asked with a frown.

"Tired..." Ciel admitted. "Like I could go right back to sleep."

"You should eat something." Sebastian stated, pulling Ciel with him to stand from the bed.

"Ok." The boy murmured. He couldn't believe how hard it was to stand. His limbs felt incredibly heavy and numb. He leaned against Sebastian with his whole weight, barely moving his legs. As they made their way to the kitchen he felt himself recovering somewhat, his muscles feeling tense. "We should take it easy today." Ciel said, trying to clear his head. "Just watch a movie or something."

Sebastian barely nodded, his eyes taking in every aspect of Ciel's exhausted form with confusion and concern.

Ciel's mother didn't notice them enter until they were almost at the table.

"Ciel! I'm so glad you're up! I'll bring you something to eat right away!"

Sebastian set Ciel down as Ciel's mother set his food and tea before him. Ciel stared at if for a silent moment.

"I'm nauseous..." He whispered.

"Ciel, you have to eat something." Sebastian spoke, placing a hand over his forehead in search of a fever or some sign of illness. That didn't seem to be the case.

The boy reluctantly reached for the fork. Sebastian's eyes narrowed as he noticed the light tremble of his hand.

_What is going on? _He cursed with frustration.

Only a few bites later and Ciel was already trying to stand up.

"I can't eat any more." He gasped, the world spinning as he stood and making him quickly fall back onto his chair.

"Ciel!" Sebastian said with panic, holding the boy in place. Rachel neared him too with a similar expression, but not for the same reasons.

"Y-you can't leave yet, Ciel! A-at least finish your tea!" She insisted, eyes wild. Sebastian glared at her with distrust. Dazed, Ciel reached for the unfinished tea and slowly moved it towards his lips. The demon's eyes narrowed with a sudden suspicion, dipping his finger into the cup and tasting it. His eyes became wide.

_**"Ciel! Don't!"**_

Ciel's hand stopped moving instantly, the boy turning to look at Sebastian.

"Huh?" He spoke out loud, Rachel giving a startled jump at that action.

**"There is something in it."** Sebastian spoke with venom dripping off his voice. Red eyes flared with absolute furry towards the woman before them ** "She put something in your tea."**

"...What?" Ciel blinked back down at the cup. He felt his mother take a hesitant step towards him.

"C-ciel?"

Sebastian growled and stepped between them, the woman feeling a violent chill running down her spine.

"You..." The boy muttered. His brain finally caught up with the implications of what Sebastian was saying, and a flare of anger went through him. He threw the cup away from him as if it burned, Rachel screaming as it shattered on the ground.

"Ciel!" She yelled, eyes full of fear. Sebastian focused on their surroundings, taking in every single thing in that kitchen until he found what was out of place.

"The top left cupboard!" He told Ciel, who got out of the chair forcefully, struggling against his body's limitations.

"Wait! Please!" Rachel called out, but she didn't seem able to move from the spot. Ciel fought his heavy limbs all the way to the cupboard, until he slammed it open and stared at what was inside.

Everyone was quiet. Slowly Ciel reached a trembling hand towards the object inside. A medicine bottle that read 'antipsychotics'.

_"...You've been drugging me?" _He whispered.

"C-ciel... please... I'm trying to help you-" The boy's head snapped towards her, eyes staring into Rachel's with immeasurable anger and incredulity. She took a step towards him. "C-ciel-"

**_"Stay away from me!" _**He threw the bottle towards his mother. She screeched and moved to avoid the flying glass. Ciel's whole body was trembling now, his vision was blurry. _**"Just stay away from me! Leave me alone!" **_He tumbled painfully towards the hall, making his way desperately to his room. He could hear his mother crying and calling out to him, and soon he felt Sebastian's arms around him, pulling him away from that scene and to safety. If anywhere in that house could be called safe anymore.

* * *

A sobbing Rachel dashed to the phone with desperation. She dialed a number, stopping only to wipe at the tears on her face. Her grip on the phone was painfully tight.

A click was heard at the other end of the line, and Rachel wept disconsolately to them.

_"Please, I don't know what to do anymore! I tried, I tried to do something- I didn't know what else to do. You need to come! Please! It's all our fault and it's still haunting him. It's still-" _

**"Rachel."**

The woman stopped, daring only to take a shaky breath.

"**Now,**" Vincent Phantomhive spoke calmly. "**Tell me what happened. From the start**."

* * *

**Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long since the last update but a LOT of drama has been going on lately. I'm pretty sure things will go a lot faster now! **

**Also, I based this fic on what google says are the most common side effects of antipsychotics! **


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